


A tale written with fangs and claws

by Former_Princess



Series: Morning Dew Pack [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Alpha Theo Raeken, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Bottom Liam Dunbar, Bottom Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Dunbar Pack, Friends to Lovers, Liam and Theo are mates, M/M, Mates, Slow Build, Smut, Top Liam, Top Theo Raeken, Werewolf Theo Raeken
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-01-19 06:18:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 394,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12404766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Former_Princess/pseuds/Former_Princess
Summary: This is a story of a spark getting ignited when nobody thought it would happen. A story about friendship, trust and yes, also about love. About finding your place in the world and figuring out who you really are.This is the story of how Liam Dunbar became an Alpha and got a mate and a whole pack to call his own.  This is the story of the Morning Dew Pack.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The prologue of my Alpha!Liam story, yay. I'm so happy I finally can start uploading it. Hope you guys like it.

Liam had come across quite some colleges on his search for **his** college. There were some he liked, some he just couldn’t picture himself attending and some he simply ruled out immediately because they didn’t offer what he wanted to study. Theo had been okay with whatever college Liam choose, claiming that he didn’t really know what to do after school anyway so he would follow Liam wherever the beta wanted to go. 

And then Liam stumbled over Seattle University and suddenly he had everything he wanted in a college. It took all but one visit to the town and the campus to completely convince himself. Theo, a self-proclaimed coffee addict, had simply smirked. “It’s Starbucks Town, how am I supposed to say no to that?” He had teased and Liam had rolled his eyes at his friend but then dragged Theo into applying for SU as well. Since everything went down, the war and everything, and Theo had started living with Liam their friendship had increasingly grown and they had become pretty close friends. In fact, they had become such a package deal that it wasn’t even a question they would move together after high school; it was a simple fact. No need to talk about it. 

Anyway, they had filled out their college applications and waited for the letters to come back and Liam was really, really anxious, okay? He wanted Seattle so bad, they had a good history program and even Theo took some liking to the business program, had a lacrosse team and the campus was just so cool and amazing, it would have been a real dream to go there. 

So when Theo strolled into the kitchen and put two envelopes on the kitchen counter next to where Liam sat and munched his cereal, Liam almost choked. One was addressed to him, one to Theo, both from SU.   
“Oh my god!” He gasped and then stared at Theo, worrying his lower lip. “They're quite small and thin, does that mean it’s a rejection letter?”  
Theo shrugged. “Only one way to know.” He tried to sound casual but Liam knew him better than anybody else, he was just as anxious as Liam. This was a wish for both of them and they were so close to fulfilling their dream or getting it destroyed.

“You open mine, I open yours?” Liam offered and Theo nodded.  
“Sounds like a deal.” He said and reached for Liam’s envelope, swiftly ripping it open.  
“Hey, wait!” Liam squeaked and hastily grabbed Theo’s envelope. He ripped it open too and the two friends pulled the letters out almost at the same time. Liam’s blue eyes scanned the letter and when he lowered it, he had a big smile on his face.    
“You were accepted.” He told Theo and Theo smirked. “So were you.” He then replied and Liam let out a happy laugh before jumping from his chair and hugging Theo tightly.  
“Seattle, baby!”  
Theo laughed and hugged his friend just as tight back. “Hell yeah.”

******

  
“Seattle? As in the town with the Space Needle?” Mason inquired.  
Liam nodded. “That Seattle exactly. Do you know a different Seattle?”  
But Mason didn’t even bother to answer and instead frowned. “Why?” He finally asked and now it was Liam’s turn to frown.  
“What do you mean ‘why’?”  
“Why Seattle? Couldn’t you have chosen a closer college or university?” Mason clarified.   
“Seattle is where both, Theo and I, felt the most comfortable with. We both liked it there, so yeah, Seattle it had to be.” He smiled softly at his best friend. “It’s not that far away from your college, Mase. We still keep in contact with texts and calls and I’m sure we can visit each other every once in a while.” He cheered him up and Mason smiled weakly.

“I’ll hold you to that. Can’t bear the thought of you being alone in a strange city.”  
Theo crunched his nose. “And what am I? Decoration?”  
“You and Liam are basically one, being the package deal that you are. You don't count!” Mason called out, making everyone in the room laugh. Scott reached out and squeezed his beta’s shoulder.   
“It’s not Beacon Hills, but I know you’ll be just fine and if you need anything, just call me.”  
Liam smiled and nodded. “Will do. Thanks, Scott.” He was glad Scott didn’t saw him choosing Seattle as leaving the pack. 

******

  
Liam surveyed the boxes stored in their living room. Crazy to think most of his belongings, at least the things he wanted to take with him when he moved, were inside those. It looked so little and yet like so much when he thought about unpacking. 

“That was the last one.” Theo announced from the kitchen and when he walked into the room he carried two beer bottles. Handing one over to Liam, he looked around. Their apartment was still empty but that’s why they had already moved even though classes weren’t starting for two more weeks. It gave them time to settle in their apartment, unpack and find their way around their apartment. It wasn’t far from the campus, that they had made sure of, but they still needed to check their surroundings for real. 

“Unpack tomorrow?” Liam asked. The only thing already standing was one bed in Theo’s room. They had built that earlier that day to have some place to sleep. Sharing a bed for one night wasn’t that much of an issue, they were used to falling asleep next to each other after a movie night. So one night wouldn’t do any harm, especially not since they were both tired from moving. Theo nodded, opening his beer.

Now Liam opened his beer too and raised it. “To Seattle and our new life.”  
Theo clanked his bottle against Liam’s. “To us and to Seattle.” He chimed in with a smile. Liam returned the smile brightly and then tug a swig from his beer. It was strange not living at home anymore and being in an unfamiliar city but he had Theo and together they would overcome whatever life threw their way, good or bad. 


	2. The harmony between the wolf and the human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo and Liam go on a weekend trip to relax and just recharge their batteries after a stressful year at Seattle. And that's how it all started in the end.

Liam leaned back in the passenger seat and watched the street in front of them. It was a bright sunny day without a cloud in the blue sky and incredibly warm. Perfect weather for a weekend trip, they were really lucky.   
After settling into their apartment and making themselves a home in Seattle, life had been busy. University was demanding and even though Liam and Theo liked it, it was different than high school and took more time to get used to. And then they both got jobs aside from college to have some money for themselves and not have Liam’s parents pay literally everything. Liam also became part of the lacrosse team, only to realize how bad they were. They didn’t have a coach, to begin with, and most members could be good at the sports but since they lost every match they clearly lacked motivation. Shortly after starting lacrosse, they voted Liam as captain since he clearly had the most passion for it, and now it was Liam’s task to coordinate his team members and manage training and games. Plus they also kept in touch with the other pack members and even managed to visit Corey and Mason once. Liam missed his pack but after almost a year of living in Seattle, the pain had dulled and he became better at coping with it. 

Now he and Theo were on their way to a small cabin near a lake. It wasn’t far from Seattle but they both needed some time to just relax and catch their breath. Both of their classes were only starting on Wednesday next week, giving them four full days off.

“What’s the first you’re going to do when we’re there?” Liam asked and Theo shrugged, eyes never leaving the road.  
“I don’t know yet. Settle in a bit and see what goes from there. Why? Do you have a plan? That would be a first.” He teased Liam and Liam swatted his leg. “Don’t hit the driver!” Theo scolded playfully, making Liam laugh.   
“Instead of complaining, you should make sure you don’t miss the road to the park, Mr. Driver.” He mocked and Theo simply snorted.  
“I know what I’m doing, little Beta!”  
“Keep telling yourself that!”

Liam grinned and looked out of the window again, enjoying to see the trees flew by. They reached their goal after a while and Theo pulled from the main road into a smaller one leading right towards the lake you could already see in the distance. The cabin they were heading to belonged to a small park with various cabins scattered around the lake.

“First step?” Theo asked and Liam pulled out his phone to check his mails. Theo usually was the planner out of the two of them but he had been swamped with assignments and work and so Liam decided to plan their trip after Theo had suggested it.   
“We have to gather the keys from the park manager at the reception. The office should be right at the beginning of the park.” Liam looked up from his phone and pointed ahead. “Over there!”  
Theo followed his direction and soon parked in front of the cabin. A sign claiming this was indeed the office was affixed right next to the entrance door. The door was open to get in some fresh air and you could see a reception desk inside. Liam unbuckled and open the passenger door. “I’ll go and get the keys.”

With that, he got out of the car and walked into the office. Behind the reception desk were two desks littered with papers and various other office items as well as a computer on each desk. On the right side of the wall behind the reception was a board with various hooks, some with keys on them, some without and each hook with its own number above. Behind the desks were two offices Liam could also see desks in.   
“Hello?” He called out and soon a woman emerged from one of the offices in the back.  
“Welcome.” She said with a warm smile. She had her black hair tied back with a bandana and wore beige jeans as well as a red shirt and white sneakers. It matched perfectly with her tanned skin. Her brown eyes were awake and sharp but also very warm and welcoming.  
“Mrs. Fairclay? I’m Liam Dunbar, my friend and I rented a cabin for the long weekend.” Liam politely introduced himself and her smile turned even warmer. Now that she was close Liam could see she was an elderly woman with a few wrinkles on her face and some gray strands in her hair but at the same time she was full of energy and gave off the impression that she seriously could kick your ass. She was like Mrs. McCall, just older. 

“Ah right, I remember. You rented cabin number seven.” She chirped and then grabbed a folder from underneath the reception desk before grabbing a key from the board. “I just need you to sig here. You already paid in advance, so just sign to confirm you read and accept the park rules.”  
She put some documents in front of Liam and he grabbed a pen, eyes fitting over the pages and then signed it. The rules were simple and common. No wildfires, no disturbing other guests, respecting the nature and keep an eye on your things. There were some wild animals around, Liam knew, but he doubted they would come close to the cabins.   
After handing the documents over again he received the keys and Mrs. Fairclay told him how to get to their cabin. “If you need anything, the number of the reception is right next to the phone in your cabin. Don’t hesitate to call.” She smiled once more and Liam felt himself returning the smile. “I wish you and your friend a nice stay, Mr. Dunbar.”  
“Please, call me Liam. I’m only nineteen-years-old, I’m too young to be Mr. Dunbar.”

She laughed and then held out her hand for him to shake. “Okay, Liam, in that case, I’m Lana.” She replied and Liam laughed before shaking her hand. “Nice to meet you.”  
He looked around after that. “So, any tips for being around? Things we need to check off our list?” He inquired and Lana shrugged.  
“Just relax, find some peace, do whatever your heart desires. It’s a very calm surrounding and yet so full of life and possibilities. You will find more than enough to enjoy your time here. Especially our kind enjoys being here.”

Liam frowned. “Our kind?” He asked and narrowed his eyes slightly. All the things he had been through made him suspicious if someone said something like that.  
But Lana kept her comforting smile and then her eyes flashed gold. “I know who you are. Liam Dunbar, first bitten beta of the True Alpha Scott McCall. The story of your pack traveled far and even reached us here. Besides, I smell you being a wolf.”  
Liam’s shoulders relaxed, he had instantly moved into some kind of defensive stance when she started talking but when she explained she didn’t seem hostile. And he knew many had heard about Scott McCall and to the extent, they also heard about Liam. “So you’re part of the pack living around here?” He inquired, curious about the other werewolf.  
Lana smiled with a fond look on her face. “I am. My husband’s the Alpha. Though our pack is very different from yours, that much I admit. You surely will meet some members of the pack during your stay here. Don’t worry, they are all peaceful and open.”  
“Amazing.” Liam liked meeting other werewolves and as long as they were nice towards him and his pack, he had no problem with exchanging stories. It would be nice to meet a whole new pack, he had to admit.

“I should better get going, Theo’s waiting. See you around. And thank you.” He then said and Lana nodded. Liam left the office and walked back to Theo’s truck. Theo was playing on his phone and merely glanced up when Liam opened the door and got into the car again.   
“The receptionist is a werewolf and her husband is the Alpha.” Liam announced cheerfully and dangled the keys. “We have cabin number seven, this way.”

Theo stared at him. “You just wanted to get the keys. How do you go from getting them to realizing she’s a werewolf and her husband’s the Alpha?”  
Liam shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “She told me. We talked. Her name is Lana. She’s nice.”  
Theo laughed and started the car engine. “You make friends everywhere, huh? You’re like a puppy, everybody just loves you.”  
“I’m not a puppy!” Liam protested, causing Theo to scoff.  
“You are, trust me. A little human puppy.”  
Liam growled playfully and Theo laughed again. “if you do that, you sound even more like a puppy.”  
“I hate you.”  
“No, you don’t.” Theo said cheerfully. “Now, show me the way, puppy.”

Liam pointed him into the directions and soon they arrived at their designated cabin. It was a nice building with light wood and a red roof. Liam instantly liked it. He could see the lake behind the cabin and when he climbed out of the car, he took a sniff off the fresh air. Traces of pine and cedar mingled with the sweet smell of flowers and well...summer. Those were going to be four amazing days.  
“Unpack and then walk to the lake? Maybe go for a swim?” He suggested while Theo grabbed their bags from the truck bed and handed Liam his own. Liam took it and since he had the keys he was the first to walk to the front door and unlock it. 

Upon entering the cabin, the young Beta whistled, impressed by what he saw. The whole interior was kept in bright and warm colors and the sun was shining through the big windows. There were two floors, the ground floor completely covered by the open kitchen and living room with a big table to sit and eat or play some board games or whatever and three couches arranged so they were pointing at the tv. A door led to a small porch with a barbecue area and some chairs as well a rounded table. The lake was even closer now and you had a perfect view over the lake and the surrounding woods. Across the entrance, stairs were leading up to what Liam assumed were the bedrooms and bathroom. 

“That was the best idea you ever had, T.” Liam breathed out and beamed at his friend. Theo had looked around as well and now faced Liam, also smiling brightly. The open and honest smile Liam loved so much. It made Theo’s eyes sparkle and Liam had to suppress a sigh. Theo smiling like that made him look even more gorgeous than usually and it always made Liam’s heart skip a beat. Theo had never noticed which Liam was really grateful about. 

Theo now stepped closer to one of the big windows and looked outside. “Love the view.” He muttered and Liam had to agree. It was spectacular. Making his way up the stairs, the younger of the two of them already felt himself relaxing. Being surrounded by this beautiful and calm place and the sun shining brightly made him feel happy and carefree. Exactly what he needed after the last few months.

Upstairs were two bedrooms and bathrooms, just like Liam had expected. One master bedroom with a kingsize bed and another one with two separate smaller beds. Liam raised a challenging eyebrow at Theo who had followed him upstairs and Theo rolled his eyes but smirked and threw his bag on one of the two beds.  
“Liam tsked. “Always so chaotic.” He teased.  
Theo gave him a once over. “I live with you, sweetheart. You’re worse than me.”  
“Aw, the pet names are coming again. Love you too, sweetie.”  
They both needed this banter, it was an essential part of their friendship. Bicker all the time like an old married couple (according to Corey) but during a fight, they were completely in sync and lethal. They trusted each other completely and blindly, because they both knew, despite them both claiming otherwise once, they would die for each other.   
Theo now sighed. “Why do I keep you around?”  
“Because you love me!” Liam stated and winked at the chimera before throwing his bag on the second bed. “Come on, I want to go to the lake.”  
“What happened to unpack?” Theo asked but Liam was already halfway down the stairs. Theo soon followed suit. 

They took the small path over the porch and then towards the lake and soon reached a small jetty reaching into the water. The lake had looked smaller from the distance but now that they were there, Liam noticed it was quite large. He could see some other cabins around, heard some children play in the distance and he inhaled the fresh air deeply.   
“I love Seattle but this fresh air is amazing.”  
Theo next to him made an agreeing sound and then kneeled down to dip his hand in the water.   
“Nice temperature, not too hot or too cold.” he stated and glanced up at Liam. The young Beta also kneeled down next to him.   
“Perfect to swim, huh?” He inquired, eyes fixed on the water and only when he glanced at Theo he noticed how close him and Theo really were. It made his heart jump in his chest. Theo didn’t make any attempt to pull away and they just looked into each other’s eyed for a while. How did a simple walk to the lake turn into sparks flying all of sudden?

A howl coming from the woods startled them and their heads snapped into the direction of the sound. “Was that...?” Liam started.  
“A wolf? Yeah. It was a happy howl though.” Theo confirmed. Curiously Liam looked at the older man.   
“How do you know that?”  
“It has something with the sound colors. A happy howl is higher than a pained or angry growl. I learned it during my time with the Dread Doctors.” Theo explained and Liam remembered Theo could shift. He probably learned more from actual wolves than Liam had known.   
“It’s cool you know such things.” He admired Theo’s wide range of knowledge. Mason was eager to learn and he did know a lot already but Theo was also incredibly smart and Liam really, really liked that about his friend. Knowledge was kind of sexy and Liam knew how that sounded but it was true. Theo now smiled at him, a happy smile again. Hearing Liam liking what he had to say and adored his knowledge was always making him happy and proud.

“Was it a real wolf? Can you hear that too?”  
But Theo shook his head. “Sometimes. Not right now. If a werewolf has experience with howling and shifting, doesn’ even has to be a full shift, it’s hard to tell.”  
Liam nodded, he understood that. It was still pretty cool.

Theo let his hand still glide through the water and Liam decided to take off his shoes and dip his feet into the water. It was really refreshing; Theo soon followed his example and the two friends sat next to each other on the jetty, watching their surroundings.

“I always liked the woods. They were mysterious and cool and as a child, I thought this was where the fairies lived. Then I grew older and liked to run in them but then I got bitten and suddenly the woods became scary and full of danger.” Liam suddenly said while surveying the woods around them. He saw Theo turning his head towards Liam from the corner of his eyes but he kept looking ahead. “But this here? I really like it. This is peaceful.”  
“Because you get older, And suddenly the monsters you see everywhere turn out to be just trees. Don’t get me wrong, there are still enough monsters lurking in the shadows, but as you get older you diversify between real danger and what your mind makes up. It’s still amazing that you can see the beauty. That’s what makes you Liam. You always have this optimistic streak.”

“And you can’t see the beauty?” Liam asked and barked out a laugh. “I certainly do not have an optimistic streak, not always at least.”  
“I can see the beauty too, yeah.” Theo said and Liam was too focused on the woods in front of him to notice that Theo was looking at him instead at the woods. Then he gave Liam a look that clearly said he wasn’t buying it.  “Uh uh, but you have...puppy!”  
“Theodore!” Liam yelled in fake anger but then started laughing. Goofing and joking around with Theo was what he loved.   
“Don’t call me that, puppy!” Theo teased back with a laugh on his own. Liam grinned. “But I like calling you that” He mocked the older and instantly regretted it when Theo lunged at him and and started to tickle him. Liam yelped and then struggled to free himself from this vicious attack.   
“Theo, no! Theo, stop! Stop! Stop it! Please!” He begged while laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face. He was ticklish and Theo the fucker knew it. 

Theo let go of him after a while and Liam scrambled away from him. “I hate you so much.” He panted and Theo just smirked, proudly at that. Liam rolled his eyes and then shoved Theo’s shoulder. The chimera had obviously not expected that, lost his balance and toppled over the jetty and into the water. Liam was shocked for all of five seconds, then he burst out laughing, rolling on the jitty and held his stomach. It took him some time to actually move to the edge and check on his friend. Theo had surfaced again and was sputtering right now, apparently needing a moment to overcome the shock of being pushed into the water. 

When he finally did, however, he glared at Liam. “You are aware that means war, right?” He asked, eyes narrowing, but Liam could not help and chuckle. The threat held a lot less venom when it was uttered by someone who looked like a drowned rat. Theo growled and then splashed water at Liam, effectively hitting him in the face and laughing at this. Liam squeaked in surprise and thus the water fight started. 

******

  
They were lounging on the porch of their cabin, watching the sun slowly setting over the lake. After their childish and entertaining water fight that ended with Theo pulling Liam into the water as well, they had returned to the cabin, soaking wet but laughing all the time, and had taken a shower and changed into dry clothes before finally unpacking and then checking the kitchen, finding it fully stocked. They really cared about their guests here.

They had just fixed themselves two sandwiches and ate on the porch, sitting at the round table and enjoying the view. The sky was tinting pink and Liam had never felt more eat peace than now. He could have stayed here forever if he was being honest.  
“I really like it here.” Theo muttered in this very moment, toying with the strings of his hoodie and Liam smiled.   
“Me too.” He agreed with his friend. And there was no one else he would rather be there with than Theo. His presence did a lot to Liam feeling so calm and collected. Just like an anchor should.

A knock on the front door made the friends turn their heads and Theo frowned before Liam shrugged. The chimera got up from his seat and shuffled into the cabin to answer the door. When he opened it, he was greeted with Lana smiling at him. She had shed her bandana and now her hair was in a loose side ponytail. She was still wearing her clothes from earlier but now she had added a black jeans jacket.   
“You must be Theo. Hello, I’m Lana.” She introduced herself to him and held out her hand for him to shake. Theo took the hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you, Lana.”  
Liam had gotten up too and closed the door to the porch behind him when he walked into the cabin and over to them. “Are you checking on us to see if the cabin is still standing?” He joked and Lana laughed.   
“No, we trust you with that. My husband would have already shown up otherwise.”  
“Liam said he’s the Alpha of the local pack.” Theo remembered and again Lana got a fond look on her face when she nodded.   
“He is. Speaking of, we would like you to invite you over to our cabin for a small BBQ. I tend to prepare way too much food for just two people and we thought it would be nice to chat with you. Don’t feel pressured to say yes, it’s just an invitation.”

Liam and Theo looked at each other when she ended. They had eaten just a few sandwiches and Liam would lie if he said the thought of a BBQ didn’t make his mouth water. Theo seemed to think the same way because he nodded softly. “We would love to, Lana. Thank you so much.” Liam accepted on behalf of both of them and smiled gratefully at Lana. She rejoiced.  
“Perfect. Just follow me.”  
Liam grabbed the keys and then the followed Lana, locking the door in the progress. 

Their way to the cabin of Lana and her husband was quick and Liam realized it was the first one he had noticed upon arriving. It was bigger than theirs but looked just as cozy from the outside, lamps illuminating the path to the front door but Lana led them around the cabin.   
Behind the cabin was a bigger barbecue area illuminated by Chinese lanterns in between the trees. A big table was right in the middle of the area, near a big grill which was already fired up but sans food. Right when they arrived a tall man with dark hair and broad shoulders stepped out of the cabin and when he saw Lana, his face lit up with a loving smile. Liam could not help but smile too when he saw the couple embracing and him nuzzling his wife’s cheek. When he looked over at Theo he also saw the small smile playing around the corner of his mouth. Even after all those years, the chimera was open about his feeling to Liam but when it came to other people, he still was distant.

Lana’s husband now stepped closer to the two young men and extended his hand. “Welcome, I’m very happy you decided to accept our invitation. My name is Byron.” His voice was soft and there were laughter lines in the corner of his eyes. His dark hair had some gray streaks too Liam noticed now and his grey eyes were watching their every move without making it look hostile. Even without him greeting Lana like that, Liam would have known he was the Alpha. There was something about the way he held himself and despite his words being spoken softly, Liam was sure the guy, just like his wife, could kick ass. he just had this quiet authority that told you, you were a fool if going against him. He shook Byron’s calloused hand. The man must be working a lot with his hands and Liam figured working at the park brought that with it. It was probably also the reason Byron was so tanned.  

“Sit down, sit down, want something to drink? I would offer you a beer but I know Liam’s nineteen. How old are you?” Lana asked Theo. “I’m twenty-one.” He replied and then shrugged. “A coke is fine, right, Lee?”  
Liam nodded. “Totally fine.” He agreed wand moved towards the table to sit down next to Theo when Byron indicated for them to do so. Byron was putting some meat on the grill, then he joined them. Lana came out of the house, carrying their drinks and then finally settled next to her husband. Instantly his hand moved to hers and they laced their fingers together. Liam had to smile, he loved small gestures like that.

“Thank you for inviting us.” Theo now said and Liam nodded along. “Yeah, it’s really nice.”  
“You’re welcome. Lana told me how nice you were when you picked up the keys and so I wanted to meet you too.” Byron chuckled. “I was also curious to meet two members of the McCall Pack.”  
Theo moved a bit in his seat. “Liam’s a member of the pack, I’m just an ally.” He stated softly and Liam’s head snapped around to look at him. “What?” Theo said with a shrug. “That’s a fact. I’m always an ally but not an actual member of Scott’s pack.”  
“Yeah, but...” Liam bit his lip and thought about it. “You’re part of my pack, the puppy pack.”  
“Yeah, okay.” Theo agreed and sipped his coke. “We’ll discuss the name later.” He then added and winked at Liam who huffed.  
“That’s what I put up with every day!” He acted like it was the biggest chore to do so when he now complained to Lana and Byron. He and Theo were so used to their banter, they often involved others as well because they saw no problem with joking and teasing around. Lana and Byron laughed, hinting they got the joke. 

“You have your own pack?” Lana now asked Liam and he actually blushed.   
“No. I mean yeah...kind of...not really. I took over when Scott graduated and left town for a while. Basically as Substitute Alpha if you want to call it that. Me and my friends, we’re the younger members and so we had to stay and graduate.”  
“Fight off hunters and the Anuk-ite.” Theo added and Liam had to agree with that.  
Byron scratched his chin. “We heard what your pack did, all of it. We heard about the whole town hunting you for what you are. It’s astonishing you all made it out alive.” He told them and Liam and Theo hunched their shoulders.  
“Would have been even better if a few more people survived.” Theo finally muttered. Brett, Lori, the deputy, even Gabe. Liam looked over to Theo and offered a soft compassionate smile. Theo returned it and reached over to squeeze Liam’s arm. They were so focused on each other, they missed the knowing look Lana and Byron shared. 

“The sad truth is, loss is an essential part of life. The question is what you learn from it.” Byron shared his insight, making Theo and Liam snap out of their little bubble and look at him again. “And sometimes loss creates something better, something that wouldn’t have been possible before.”

Liam smiled and glanced at Theo again. Without Gabe dying the rest of the pack would have never seen how much Theo had changed. They would have never realized he wasn’t the bad guy anymore. 

“Yeah, sometimes it creates something even better. A friendship, for example.” Liam agreed and Theo looked at him with a soft smile. A smile that was only reserved for Liam, that much Liam knew.  
Byron chuckled. “That’s what I’m talking about. Loss, even though it always hurts, isn’t always just bad. It just takes time for someone to realize that.”

Liam knew he was right. It was part of growing up, he had learned this very early in his life. Hurt and pain and loss belonged to life, especially to their life. But he tried to focus more on the positive aspects and look ahead instead of dwelling on what they have lost. 

Taking a sip from his drink, Liam leaned back in his chair. “Anyway, after it got quieter and calmer, we were able to finish school and be somewhat normal teenagers while the older pack members were trying to live their life outside of Beacon Hills. My best friend Mason started to refer to us as pack and me as Alpha. But I’m not. An Alpha I mean.”  
“Because you don’t have red eyes?” Lana guessed and Liam shrugged. Byron got up to tend to the meat on the grill and made a doubtful sound.   
“There is so much more to an Alpha than just the color of his eyes, Liam. The way they act, the way they talk, the way they treat their Betas. The way they treat others.” He summed it up. “And just like every pack, every Alpha is different. Our pack, for example, is so different than yours too.” He said thoughtfully and flipped the burgers and the steaks. 

“Yeah, you said that too earlier, Lana.” Liam remembered. “What do you mean by that? Isn’t every pack determined by hierarchy?”   
Lana shook her head. “You are right and you are wrong. Right because yes, there are Alphas and Betas. But even an Alpha can be a beta to some extent.” She started to explain.  
“See the Alpha pack.” Theo supplied helpfully and Lana nodded her head and pointed at him. “Exactly. They all were Alphas and yet Deucalion was their Alpha. So, you see, even the hierarchy can change and be not as outlined as it is in theory. And like Byron said, it all depends on the Alpha. How they treat their pack is how the pack acts and how they treat them in the end.”  
”And what kind of Alpha are you?“ Theo asked Byron and the Alpha chuckled while sitting down at the table again.

“A respectful one, at least I hope so.” He said amusedly and Lana looked at her husband with a look full of love.  
“You are.” She confirmed and leaned in to kiss him softly. Byron smiled at that and Liam admitted it was cute how in love they still were.   
“See, I believe that even though I’m the Alpha, my Betas have their own lives and I have no right to just interfere, not completely at least. I protect them, I give them advice, but in the end, I let them do whatever feels right for them. I don’t barge into their houses like it’s my right to do so. I saw other Alphas do it and I never liked it. I respect their boundaries and it’s my opinion that an Alpha needs to do just that in order to be a good Alpha. I try to give my Betas the feeling we see eye to eye and it’s rare I use my Alpha authority to reign them in. Sometimes it’s needed but I intend not to do it if I have a choice. Other Alphas choose a more rough approach to make their Betas know who calls the shots. That’s up to every Alpha to decide. In some ways, it’s like being a parent. There are many ways to raise your children and you need to figure out what’s the best way for you.”

When Byron ended, Lana spoke up. “I can only say this much: I’ve never been an Alpha myself but I’m an Alpha’s mate and so I know a thing or two. And I learned that if an Alpha respects their Betas, the Betas are loyal, no matter what. I’m not saying they don’t speak their mind and cower but I’m saying that even if another Alpha demands their obedience, they will stay true to their Alpha. And that’s one of the strongest bonds an Alpha and a Beta can have.”  
Liam considered that. What they said was true and he especially liked the image of the Alpha being a parent. He always had considered Scott more like a big brother and he had tried to be like the older one. The thing was, Scott was a True Alpha, and no matter what he did Liam never felt like he was righteous and as ethical as Scott. It had put a bummer on Liam’s mood whenever something happened.

Registering what Lana had said in the beginning, Liam now scrunched his nose in confusion. “What’s an Alpha’s mate?” He asked. The term was unfamiliar to him; he couldn’t remember ever hearing Scott mention those words.  
Byron and Lana shared a look. “They’re probably too young.” She said to her husband and Byron shrugged. “Too young to be mated probably but not to know about mates.”  
He turned his attention back to Liam and Theo. “Mates are an actual thing for werewolves. It’s a connection between a couple far deeper than anything you ever felt or saw. It runs deep into your bones and it ties you to another person forever. You belong to this person and they belong to you. You claim them and if you do, they become a part of your soul.”  
“I remember coming across this one.” Theo suddenly said. “I thought it was just a lore.”  
“It’s not, it’s real and the most powerful bond ever.” Lana squeezed Byron’s hand and he raised it to his lips and kissed her hand. “The decision to become mates was huge for us but I never regretted it. He’s mine as much as I am his and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am proud to carry his mating bite.”  
“And I am proud to call this beautiful and strong woman my mate.”

Liam could not help but adore this. Seeing something like this really made his heart melt. He never experienced a love that deep and pure and devoted. They were basically glowing and it was obvious these two would tear the world apart for each other if needed to. Peaceful or not, this love was stronger than anything.

He glanced at Theo and this time Theo’s smile wasn’t faint but real as he watched the mated couple. Maybe he wished for the same thing as Liam, to find a love that strong and pure for himself. Liam really hoped one day Theo would find the person to see how amazing he really was and loved him like he deserved it. 

“Being mated sounds like a very deep and meaningful thing.” The chimera now stated and Byron nodded.   
“It’s a big responsibility because if your mate dies, a part of your soul dies too. So you protect them at all cost. It’s definitively worth it.”

He got up again and finally served the meat to his guests. Soon they all had a plate in front of them with either burgers or steaks.  
Liam tasted the steak and moaned. “God, this is delicious, Lana.” He muttered and she beamed at him. Theo next to him made a sound of agreement. “It’s really delicious.” And Lana beamed at him too. Byron looked exceptional proud of his mate and ate happily. They all fell into an easy conversation while eating; it was nice to talk with two other werewolves. Liam knew their pack was unusual, they were still so young, so talking with two born werewolves with lots of experience gave him the possibility to learn from them. 

“Mind telling us something about your pack?” He asked after a while and grabbed his coke to drink from it while waiting for an answer from Lana or Byron.   
“Well, I don’t know if you ever heard the name before, but we are referred as the Morning Dew Pack, because of the way nature around looks every morning. You will see tomorrow. We are very involved with nature around, part of our strength comes from being in the woods and our strong ties with nature. We are peaceful, never actively searching out the fight but defending ourselves if we have to. We believe that everyone can be part of the pack if they want to and we believe in protecting and cherishing. It served us well all this time. Our young wolves are being taught the harmony between the inner wolf and the human side. Only if you find the balance you can reach your full potential. I don’t know if that makes us different than any other pack. What makes us different for sure is how we choose our Alphas.”  
“You choose your Alphas? How does that work?” Theo asked surprised, voicing Liam’s exact thoughts.

Byron rumbled out an amused chuckle. “You heard about the different way to become an Alpha, right? One by birthright when the Alpha dies and you are next in line. Then you can become an Alpha by killing one. Alpha by conquest is another way. The pack treats you like an Alpha, you act like an Alpha, so one day the Alpha spark lights up inside you. And then there’s our way. See, we are peaceful, we don’t believe you should become a leader by simply being stronger than the current Alpha or just being born into the right family. We believe that an Alpha needs certain traits and values to be a suitable leader. And that’s why the Alpha pays close attention to every member of the pack. They watch how the pack develops, how each member develops. And when it’s finally time the Alpha gets too old and too weak, they decide on a successor. It doesn't matter if the successor is the Alpha’s child or somebody else, maybe the successor wasn’t even part of the pack from the beginning but the Alpha sees the values in them. If the Alpha deems them worthy, they ask the successor to accept the Alpha power and if they do accept, a ritual is held and the Alpha spark gets transferred from the old Alpha to the new one.”

“I distinctly remember Stiles saying something about Derek giving up his Alpha spark to save his sister. That’s basically the same thing, right?” Liam asked and Byron nodded.  
“Transferring power, yeah. It’s just a different ritual.”  
That made sense and Liam sipped his coke, pending on what he had learned. There were still so many things he didn’t know about being a werewolf. Next to being a True Alpha, this seemed like one of the most honorable ways to gain Alpha status.   
“Is there a special time when the successor gets chosen?” Theo inquired after a few moments of silence. He was obviously just as eager as Liam to learn about this uncommon way to become an Alpha.   
“Whenever the current Alpha feels like they are too old or don’t do the pack justice anymore. I, for example, am looking for a successor right now.”

“What? You’re not that old!” Leave it to Liam to blurt out such a statement. Theo looked highly amused when he looked at Liam and couldn’t suppress his chuckle before drinking from his coke. Liam hunched his shoulder in embarrassment.  
“Sorry.”  
But Byron threw his head back and laughed loudly. “You say what’s on your mind, I like that.” He said after a while of just laughing. “It’s a good trait to have. But I am too old to be the best Alpha this pack deserves.” He sighed. “It’s just not really easy finding somebody to take my place.”  
“But if it’s common in your pack to chose the next Alpha, shouldn’t the successors lining up and trying to give off their best impressions?” Theo questioned and it was Lana who took over from her husband when she replied.  
“Yes, that was the case for many years. But nowadays the younger wolves moved away to find work in the cities. They mostly leave forever. Jobs around here are rare and I understand young people want to see the world. They start their own packs or join others and so the ones we have here are either too old themselves or just children. The few pack members in the right age don’t want to take over and we accept that. We never force anybody; we ask and if they say No, that’s okay. But since we don’t have children ourselves finding a successor is difficult.”  
“As long as I don’t find anybody, I’ll stay the Alpha, but I would like to retreat and live the rest of my life as Beta if I have the choice.” Byron confessed and Liam understood that. Being a Beta was far less demanding than being an Alpha. He was aware Scott had a lot on his shoulders too. Being an Alpha wasn’t something Liam pictured as easy. He had struggled as well when Scott had been out of town so he could relate on some level.  
“I hope you find the right successor to keep your legacy.” He said with an honest smile.  
Byron returned the smile. “Thank you, Liam.”

******  
Liam softly pulled the front door shut behind him to not wake Theo up. He had woken up really early, still in his rhythm from college, and had not been able to sleep again. Theo still slept peacefully in the bed across the room and Liam had gotten up after a while, changed into basketball shorts and a tank top, put on his running shoes and decided to go for a run before preparing breakfast them. 

Now outside he inhaled the fresh air again, closing his eyes for a second, and then opening them again to start jogging towards the lake. He had just passed the cabin of Byron and Lana, when Byron appeared next to him, also in running gear.   
“A morning jog is always a good way to start the day. Good thing you young people see it like that too.” He greeted Liam with a smile and Liam returned it.  
“Best running course?” He inquired and Byron made a motion with his hand before jogging into a direction, so Liam followed him.

They jogged away from the lake and up a hill, leading directly into the woods. Liam was fit, he had a good condition, but it was commonly known Alphas had the better stamina. So after a while of keeping up with Byron, he felt himself falling back and finally he came to a halt.  
“You’re really good at keeping up.” Byron praised when he had stopped too and walked back to Liam.  
Liam grimaced. “I still fell back.”  
“Because you don’t use your full potential. You are strong, stronger than most Betas, and yet you still hold yourself back.” Byron said matter-of-factly.

Liam sighed deeply. “I have to hold myself back. I have anger issues. If I let my IED run freely, my wolf would probably kill someone.” There was something about Byron that made it impossible for Liam to lie. He trusted the elderly Alpha.    
“Now you’re focusing on one aspect of the wolf. The force, the strength. But there is so much more.”

He made a few steps until he reached a small clearing and then waved Liam over. Liam followed, even though he had o idea what was going to happen next.   
“Kneel and put the palm of your hand on the ground.” Byron instructed and kneeled down himself. Liam did the same and extended his hand, putting it on the ground,  
“Good. Now close your eyes and tell me what you hear.”

Scott had tried to make Liam do exercises like this often but Liam always grew impatient after a while and failed them. “I’m not good at this, Byron. I’m too impatient for this.” He warned in advance.  
“Just do it, Liam. And stop selling yourself short. You can do more than you may know.”  
Liam sighed again but then he decided to go with it for once. So he closed his eyes.

“I hear birds. The wind in the tree crowns.” He announced after a while.   
“That’s what you know you hear but it’s not what you hear.” Byron replied cryptically and Liam frowned, opening his blue eyes again. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The Alpha chuckled and took a small rock from the ground. “This rock for example. You know rocks are grey so you will tell me the rock is grey. And you are right but if you take a closer look and just really go for what you see, you will realize the rock’s not just grey. See? It’s green where the moss is growing on the side. And those little brown dots here? They even appear yellow in the direct sunlight.” He turned the rock in his hands to show Liam what he was talking about. “You see the way the sun falls on the rock and creates patterns of shadow and light. How it looks slightly blue in the right light.” Liam had to agree, there was far more than just grey.   
“It’s the same with the hearing. What your brain knows you hear and what you really hear are two different things. So I want you to try again and tell me what you really hear.”

Liam took a deep breath. He still wasn’t convinced it would work but he would try once more. Closing his eyes again, he tried to just listen. Really just listening and not let his brain tell him what he was listening to.  
“I hear the wind playing in the tree crowns. And I hear birds.” He took a breath again and tried to focus harder. Something inside him urged him on to hear more. 

And suddenly it felt like someone had removed headphones from his ears and he could hear what he had not heard before. “I hear the heartbeat of a smaller animal. Their tiny paws on the ground.”  
“Which direction?” Byron guided him and Liam tilted his head, trying to figure it out.   
“From the left...I think. Don’t know full well but I’d say left.”  
“Correct.” Byron confirmed. “What else, Liam?”  
He tried to listen to more sounds but aside from their two heartbeats, he could not hear more. “That’s all.” He muttered, somewhat disappointed in himself. When he was about to open his eyes, Byron stopped him.

“No, keep your eyes closed. And now tell me what you feel. Start with your hand on the ground.” He instructed and Liam tried to follow his words. He inhaled again, loving the smell of the woods around them, and just focused on what he felt. 

“The ground’s warming up. It’s soft underneath my palm. I can almost squeeze it with my fingers.” His fingers twitched when he said that, feeling the soft ground.  
“Amazing, Liam, keep going. What else?”  
“Uhm, I feel the sun on my skin. It’s also getting warmer and I feel the breeze.” Again he tried to sense more. He felt how the breeze ghosted over his naked arms and legs and the sun getting warmer by the minute. Today was going to be another warm summer day. He uttered his impression to Byron and the Alpha squeezed his shoulder.

“Okay, Liam, focus on all the impressions you currently get. The sounds and the feelings.”   
Liam had to admit that he never took his time to experience things like this before. It was unfamiliar but he also felt his inner wolf liking the new way of taking things in, realizing how surrounded by nature he really was.  
“And now I want you to run. Run until you reach the boulder on top of the hill, okay? Go!”

Liam’s eyes snapped open, glowing bright gold, and he leaped to his feet, immediately starting to run up the hill. His wolf howled happily inside him, happy to just run and enjoy the little exercise. He was so caught up it took a while to notice he was running faster than usual and due to that reached the boulder faster than expected. Stopping right there he put his hand against the boulder, trying to grasp what just happened.

“I was never that fast. Fast yes, but never like that.” He told Byron when the Alpha followed him. “How did I do that?”

“That’s what I was talking about when I referred to the harmony between wolf and human. We all, real wolves and werewolves, have the animal side and the animal is part of nature. If you manage to channel your wolf’s powers through nature, you will be faster, stronger, in some regards. It’s like paying tribute to the animal side of your soul and you get the full power of the wolf in exchange. It takes some time to learn how to really use the power to its full extent but you did well for your first try.”

Liam beamed at Byron, happy and proud that he managed to tap into that part of his power as a werewolf. He was still figuring his way out, the older he got, the more he learned, the more options he had to stay in control and using his werewolf abilities like he wanted to. He still had never thought about nature as a positive trigger. He could not wait to tell Theo about what he just learned and so he happily jogged along with Byron when the Alpha continued his run, leading them back to the cabin Liam shared with Theo. 

The chimera was in the kitchen when Liam stormed in, sipping on a mug of steaming coffee, and glanced at Liam, one eyebrow raised.

“You won’t believe what just happened. Byron and I went for a run and there was this rock and then he told me to listen to everything...because you see more than you know and then I ran and I was faster and....” Liam blurted out, words spilling out in one single breath and Theo put his mug down before stepping closer to Liam and putting his hands on Liam’s shoulders.  
“Breathe, Liam! I don’t understand a single thing.” He said with an amused smile. “Take a deep breath and then tell me again what happened.  Because what you just said made no sense at all.” 

His fingers squeezed Liam’s shoulders slightly and Liam followed Theo’s suggestion to take a few breaths, calming himself down enough so he could talk in a more calmer manner. And then he told Theo everything that happened on his morning run. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter, I am excited. I know not that much happened but stuff is about to happen very soon. Hope you liked the philosophy of the new pack. Share your thoughts with me, guys. I'm curious what you have to say.


	3. Channel your inner animal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time it's not only Liam who gets in touch with his inner animal. And an important decision needs to be made.

Liam woke up from his slumber and blinked. He and Theo had been chilling by the lake, lying close to the shore and taking turns in either swimming or just tanning. Liam had enjoyed the warm sun on his exposed back and listened to the nature around them. He did this quite often since Byron had taught him how to in the morning. It calmed his inner wolf and helped Liam relax even more. So he listened to the birds chirping, to some crickets here and then, to the sound of other people in the park, and to Theo’s steady heartbeat. The sounds were incredibly calming, especially his friend’s heartbeat, and Liam had dozed off.

He blinked awake now and yawned. “How long have I been asleep?” He asked Theo who seemingly just had gotten out of the lake once again, given the droplets of water running down his chest. Liam had to be honest, that was a nice sight to wake up to. Theo now checked his phone before grabbing his towel. 

"Not even half an hour.” He declared and Liam rolled on his back. He had no sense of time since they were here but he didn’t really mind. He had planned on recharging his batteries, that meant sleeping in, being lazy and just do whatever he deemed fun. He would have been comfortable with staying there but his stomach rumbled. 

“I’m starving.” He announced and Theo snickered. “First a nap, now hungry, you’re not a puppy but a kitten.”  
“I hate you.” Liam muttered with no heat and sat up. He considered things for a minute or two.  
“Want to go to the small town nearby? They have a Diner and maybe we could eat something there and see what else is going on.” The younger suggested and Theo stopped drying himself off with his towel to think about it. “Sure, why not?” He finally said and they both got to their feet to gather their things and carry them back to the cabin. There they just changed into casual clothes and then used Theo’s car to drive to the nearby town.

It was a real single stoplight town but Liam didn’t care. There was a grocery store, a Diner, and a few other shops. The Diner itself looked like it was straight out of a 50′s movie and was quite cozy. There was only one other table occupied so they two friends didn’t have to wait long until they got their food. It was truly delicious and Liam really dug it. Thank god for the fast metabolism of a werewolf so Liam could order a second chocolate milkshake and some extra fries without remorse. Theo simply chuckled but when Liam offered his fries he also grabbed a few and munched them happily.

 After their stomachs were full and they paid, they strolled down the street, looking into the windows of the few shops around. One particular shop caught Liam’s interest and he stepped inside. There were various herbs on the shelves, next to mortars and pestles and a lot of books. Curiously Liam roamed through the store, checking the things on the shelves. It reminded him of Deaton’s vet clinic and on the other hand it looked like a shop were tourist could buy some souvenirs. 

“Uh, they are pretty.” He told Theo when he caught glimpse of colorful stones. Each one was painted in another color, there was red and yellow and blue and green, and every stone had a blade of grass with two droplets above it painted on it. Liam took a red stone and inspected the symbol closer.

“It’s the symbol of the Morning Dew Pack but most people think it’s just pretty.” A voice told him and Liam almost dropped the stone. His head shot up and he blinked at the woman who had appeared right behind the counter where the bowl with the stones stood. She had long black hair in a high ponytail and was dressed in a simple red dress with colorful bracelets on her wrist, matching perfectly with her mocha colored skin. Her dark brown eyes looked murky but her smile was open and welcoming. She raised both hands in a calming manner. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. You’re Liam and Theo, right?”  
“How do you know?” Liam asked dumbfounded and she smiled.   
“There are not many young men around I don’t know. And you fit the description I got from Lana.” She blabbed. 

Theo took a look around again and stepped closer to Liam. “You’re a druid, right?” He asked and Liam was once again reminded how good Theo was at drawing conclusions about something.    
She smirked. “That I am. My name is Shana.” She introduced herself and held out her hand for them to shake which they both did. 

“So, is there anything I can help you with?” Shana asked them and Liam shook his head. “We were just looking around.”  
“Liam’s a curious puppy, he has to investigate everywhere.” Theo chimed in and Liam glared at him.  
“Stop calling me that!” He demanded but since he was already laughing at the end, it didn’t do much. Theo simply poked his tongue out at him and Liam snorted. “Oh, that’s mature, Theodore.”  
He yelped slightly when Theo put him into a friendly headlock and Shana amusedly watched them as they play-wrestled lightly. Theo finally pulled Liam closer to him and planted a smack on his cheek before releasing the younger Beta who scrubbed his cheek with the back of his hand and really hope he had not blushed too much. Teasing and mocking each other was fine but when Theo did something like that, Liam felt his heart almost beating out of his chest and he really hoped his friend didn’t notice it. That would be really awkward to explain.  
“Don’t.” He said and turned his attention towards the rocks to cover up how flustered he was. Theo behind him chuckled just but let him go.   
“Do you paint those rocks?” Liam asked and Shana nodded. Taking one in blue, one in red and one in yellow Liam decided they would be some nice gifts and also would remember him of their weekend trip.   
“I was wrong. You’re not a puppy, you’re an otter. Otters have favorite rocks and pebbles too and carry them around.” Theo suddenly said and this time he made Liam laugh.   
“You’re a dork”  He got out after a while and placed the rocks next to the cash register. “Can I look around more? Maybe I find something for my best friend. His birthday is coming up.” 

“Sure, take all the time you need.” Shana said and Liam grabbed Theo’s arm to pull him along while roaming between the shelves. Shana followed them and had some very interesting and helpful information about everything he took interest in and it helped a lot. He found some very interesting books about Druid symbols and various herbs and he knew Mason would love them. He pulled them from the shelf and handed them over to Theo to carry them. The chimera just raised an eyebrow but took the books and followed Liam through the whole shop. When they finally reached the cash register again, Liam pulled out his wallet and paid for everything together.

 “Is your best friend a werewolf too?” Shana inquired and Theo barked out a laugh. “He’s just human. But incredibly smart.”  
It made Liam smile to hear this from Theo. It showed how far he and Mason had come and that they viewed each other’s a friend nowadays.   
“There’s the happy puppy again.” Theo had seen Liam’s smile and could not refrain from teasing him once more. Liam just rolled his eyes this time but he still smiled.   
“Thank you for everything, Shana.” Liam said politely.   
“You’re welcome. If every customer would be as nice as the two of you, I would love my job even more.” She chirped. “Oh, are you coming to the night hike tonight? I’m not sure if Lana and Byron already invited you yet but it would be lovely to have you around.”    
“Night hike?” Theo and Liam asked at the same time.  
“It’s something we do every once in a while. As part of our philosophy to strengthen the harmony between wolf and human.” Shana explained.   
“Uhm, no, Lana and Byron didn’t say anything yet. But, have fun.”

Neither Liam nor Theo wanted to introduce and take part in pack activities. Pack bounds were important, they both knew that, and they didn’t want to disturb. Shana seemed a tad disappointed but she nodded. “Okay, have a nice day.” She called and they both wished the same before leaving the shop.

******

  
Theo was lounging on one of the couches, reading one of the books he brought along, while Liam sat on the other couch and flipped through the channels on the tv. After their visit to the little town they had returned home and just relaxed, Liam had cooked for them, and now they planned in spending the night with just reading and watching tv or simply doing nothing. 

“Hello, somebody there?” Lana called out just when she rounded the corner of the cabin and appeared on their porch. Liam turned his head and smiled at the woman who waited at the entrance of the door leading to the porch. 

“Lana, come in.” 

Theo had put his book aside and was now resting his chin on the backrest of the couch, curiously watching Lana. Just like Liam, he knew there had to be a reason she came around. “How can we help you, Lana?”  
“Well.” She smirked and put her hair in a messy bun before continuing. “I know you met Shana and she told you about the night hike. We would like to invite you if you’re up for it.”  
Liam hesitated. “But this is a pack activity, right? We don’t want to intrude.” He said softly and Lana shook her head.   
“Liam, I told you our pack is very open and welcoming. You are the only other werewolves around so we would like to invite you. If you were intruding, we would tell you.”   
Theo looked over to Liam and the younger shrugged his shoulders. Lana chuckled. “I say you come with us and you don’t say No to the Alpha’s mate. So hush, get your jackets and your shoes.” She joked, making them both laugh. But it worked and Liam turned off the TV before getting off from the couch and put on his shoes and his jacket. 

Soon enough they followed Lana outside where Byron greeted them both with a squeeze to the shoulder. “I am happy you decided to join us. Some pack members are already on their way, others will join us.”

He turned around and started walking, Lana soon walking next to him and lacing their fingers together. Liam and Theo walked behind them.  
“What do you think: Where are we going?” Liam whispered and Theo shrugged. “I’d say somewhere in the woods. You were on a morning run this morning, you know your way around here better than me.”  
“This morning I was a bit occupied with other things.” Liam replied and Theo snickered.  
“Wherever we’re going, they know how to put on a certain mood.” He stated and Liam had to agree when he saw other pack members waiting for them, all wearing smaller lanterns. The lights from said lanterns cast a warm glow and made the warm summer night even cozier than it already was. Liam smiled. That was really nice. 

“These are Liam and Theo, they accepted our invitation to join us. And those are Valerie, Valentina, Logan, Bernhard, and Cedric.” Lana introduced both sides to each other. The woman introduced as Valentina held out a lantern for Liam and Theo and Liam snatched it before Theo could do so, poking out his tongue at his friend and making everyone laugh. Together they started walking again, into the woods just like Theo had expected.

“How’s listening to the nature going for you?”  
Byron had started to walk next to Liam and Theo and Liam looked at him now. “I tried it again and again, it’s nice to know I managed to do it once. I mean, I still hear those sounds, but I’m not sure if I can combine it with my wolf again. Does that makes sense?”  
“It sure does. It’s not easy, the harmony, but if you keep practicing it, you will get better and better until one day you do it without even thinking about it.” Byron explained and squeezed Liam’s shoulder again. “You also have to take into account, listening and feeling are easy when everything around you is relatively quiet and you’re not in motion yourself. It’s more difficult when you are active. But try it. Right now. Try to listen to the sounds around you, try to feel something.” Byron assigned to Liam and the young Beta took a deep breath before he tried to focus.

“I hear everyone’s heartbeats and their steps.” He started with the obvious. “And their breathing. Also...” He listened harder and closed his eyes to get a better impression but regretted that when he stumbled over a root and almost fell.  
“Jeez, Liam!” Theo hissed and grabbed his arm to keep him from falling flat on his face.   
Liam opened his eyes again but then he stopped. “I hear an owl. In the tree crown. And a squirrel darting over the ground. It dropped a nut.” He suddenly said. “And I hear people talking and laughing further up the hill. And... I feel the warmth of the lanterns and the warmth of the night.”

Byron looked impressed and then looked at where Theo was still holding Liam’s arm. “You are each other’s anchors, that is incredible. Your abilities only increase when you are around each other and try to channel nature.” He noted and Liam looked at Theo and then back at the Alpha, blushing and being grateful it was too dark to see it. He had felt his abilities increasing too, just because Theo touched him. He knew their connection ran deep but that deep?  
Theo smiled softly at Liam and they both started walking with the others again, the chimera dropping his hand from Liam’s arm but draping it over Liam’s shoulders. He sometimes liked being close to the werewolf, Liam knew that, so he had no objections and that’s why he wrapped his arm around Theo’s waist.

They walked for what felt no longer than five minutes, as stated Liam lost a sense of time since being here, but then they arrived at a clearing on top of the hill. You could see the lake and part of the woods, and also the twinkling stars in the night sky. A big fireplace with logs made to sit had been established there and the pack members had set their lanterns down to gather around the already burning fire. Drinks and sticks were passed around to spear marshmallows on it and roast over the open fire. And every single member greeted Theo and Liam like they were old friends. This open-minded way of treating strangers was so honest to Liam, he could not stop himself from smiling when he sat down with the other pack members and accepted a stick and some marshmallows. Theo sat right next to him, staring into the flames and smiling brightly, obviously liking that. This was Theo’s aesthetic, Liam could tell. It didn’t take long for the chimera to be involved in a conversation with some men of the pack and Liam took his time to look around.

“Are you always coming here for pack gatherings?” He asked Shana and Lana who sat near him. Both women nodded and moved closer to him. “It’s also the place where we hold the Alpha ritual.” Shana explained and sipped on her tea.  
“ _Close to ground, close to the sky, and no matter what direction we turn, our hearts always belongs to the wind._ ” Lana recited.  
“Is this your pack mantra?” Liam asked and again both women nodded. “It’s beautiful.” He meant it completely honest. This fitted them perfectly and summed up their philosophy. He could imagine the wolves telling themselves that over and over again.   
_“No matter what happened, the world starts anew; every morning with the morning dew.”_ Shana added and Liam laughed. “That’s probably the first mantra I’ve heard that rhymes. It’s great.”  
She giggled and Lana smiled too. “Rhyme or not, whatever helps a wolf stay in control is good. It’s okay if a wolf finds their own mantra.”  
Liam smiled a bit sad. “I started to use the mantra of another pack too. It was the pack of a friend of mine and I felt a stronger connection to it than the mantra Scott or Derek used. That didn’t really help but the new one did. Until the Anuk-ite and the hunters, at least. When that went down, it was only Theo who could pull me back. Hence why he’s my anchor.”

Theo turned his head when he heard his name but when Liam smiled at him, he smiled back and then returned his focus back on the conversation he had with the other men. Liam tilted his head and watched them. Whatever they were discussing, from what he heard it was about working with their hands, it seemed to pull them all in and now they laughed. Theo made some movements with his hands and they laughed again. Seeing his best friend like this, so relaxed and involved with others, warmed Liam’s heart. Theo needed people to see how amazing he really was. 

One of the men now pulled a knife out of his pocket and grabbed a smaller piece of wood. “Ever tried carving?” He asked and Theo shook his head. “Always wanted but somehow never got the time to go for it.” He replied and the man, Bernhard or Bernie for short, went on to explain the chimera some things about wood carving. Not long after and he handed the wood over to Theo who tried his hands on it. From Liam’s point of view, it didn’t look that bad and Cedric patted Theo’s shoulder. “You’re a good handyman and now you’re good at wood carving. Careful, boy, or Bernie will adopt you right on the spot.”  
They all laughed and Bernie jokingly grabbed his heart “Son I never had!” He exclaimed, making them all laugh again.

“Four daughters and they all left the pack.” Lana whispered into Liam’s ear to make him understand Bernie’s reaction. He made a sad sound. “Oh.”  
“It’s fine, we all became used to it. No use in keeping your children here if they don’t find jobs and are unhappy.”   
“But that also means no successor for Byron.” Liam boiled it down to its essence. Lana grimaced and shrugged with a sigh.   
“Unfortunately yes.”

“But that’s not something we should think about tonight.” Byron had joined them and now sat down next to his mate, kissing her forehead gently. “Tonight we just gather with the pack, enjoy the time, and we will see what tomorrow brings.” 

“Were you always that calm and collected?” Liam had to ask. “I mean, you are so soft and at the same time I’m sure you can lash out and defend your pack, but were you like this at my age?”

Byron looked t him and then chuckled. “At your age, I had a bicycle and hung out with my friends at a bar on the high way, got drunk on the weekends and sometimes even during the week, got involved in fights and broke noses and hearts. I was the last one the Alpha wanted as his successor.” He confessed, making Liam grin. That wasn’t something he had expected. 

“Why did the Alpha change his mind?”

“One day I stumbled into the Diner after a night out with my friends. I was a tad hungover and just wanted some bacon before crashing in my bed at home. The only waitress that early in the morning (the Diner was small and so she was doing it all on her own because there rarely were guests) was nice but suddenly she had to throw up and ran to the toilet. Poor thing had caught the flu and needed to go home. She told me to please lock the Diner and throw the key into the mailbox of her boss while she went home. What I did instead was wandering into the kitchen and made myself some bacon. Suddenly the door opened and the football team from a few towns over stumbled in, followed by cheerleaders and fans, still celebrating their win. They all were starving and demanded breakfast and I delivered. It wasn't probably the best pancakes and eggs they ever ate but they were too overjoyed with their victory to really care. When they were gone, I cleaned the Diner and then handed the key over to the boss who had arrived. I never claimed any of the money I made this morning and that made the Alpha realize I could be responsible if times called for it. He told me making mistakes was part of being human and that it didn’t mean I was a failure. It would still take some time to work but in the end, I had my heart in the right place.”

Liam laughed loudly at this story. “Oh god, that's great, really. What did the sick waitress do when she heard about it?”  
Byron grinned. “She was so grateful and later showed her gratitude when I asked her on a date and she even mentioned it when I married her years later.” He smiled at Lana and she chuckled and then kissed her mate.  
Liam grinned. “No way! That’s one of the best love stories I’ve ever heard!”

The couple nodded in a silent thank you and Liam ate his marshmallows. Looking around he had to admit the whole pack was awesome and so was their place here. He loved the fire, he loved that they all came together and just chatted and joked and had fun. 

“What happens if you die before finding a successor?” He asked and winced. “I’m sorry, you said you didn’t want to talk about it tonight but...I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t be, young wolf, it’s okay to ask and be curious.” Byron got up. “Let’s go for a bit of a walk, shall we?” 

Liam got to his feet and squeezed Theo’s shoulder to let him know he was just going for a walk, then he walked with Byron away from the fire. Byron had his hands in the pockets of his jacket and stayed silent for a few minutes. “If I die before I decided on a successor, the pack will be without an Alpha. In that case, the older pack members found a council to make decisions around here but it would weaken the pack. See, a pack needs an Alpha as much as an Alpha needs a pack. It’s an irrevocable fact.”   
“I would feel sorry if that happened to your pack. It’s a great pack and it deserves to stay as such. Peaceful but strong.” Liam muttered. “I mean, we arrived yesterday but I feel like you already taught me so much just from being around and I am really grateful for that.” He bit his lip. “I really hope you find a successor, Byron.”  
The Alpha gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You have a good heart, Liam. Never let anybody tell you otherwise. You are honest, you admit your mistakes and you’re striving to improve yourself, become a better version of yourself. Those are excellent traits and you will get far in life, I know you will.”

Liam beamed at the Alpha. Hearing those words from the elderly man who had seen so much in his life and was rich on experiences meant so much to the young werewolf and he could not refrain from hugging Byron.

 “Thank you, Byron. This really means a lot to me. I mean, Scott tells me this all the time too, but I feel like I’m still not good enough all the time. Like I’m missing some key things to really be the Beta he deserves.” He mumbled. Byron patted his back in a comforting manner and smiled softly when Liam pulled away again.

“You are being too hard on yourself, Liam. You don’t have to be perfect and you can’t compete with your Alpha. Scott McCall is a True Alpa, it’s rare and maybe impossible to be as righteous and ethical as him. But you are Liam Dunbar and you are the best version of yourself. You are not a True Alpha, so what? I’m not one either and I still can look at my reflection without averting my eyes. At the end of the day, that’s what counts, Liam. Don’t push yourself down just because you think you should be a copy of someone else. The world doesn’t need Scot McCall 2.0, your pack doesn’t need Scott McCall 2.0., but they all need Liam Dunbar, the original. And so does Scott, because you are a good Beta, a strong Beta, and he knows it. He wouldn’t motivate you otherwise.” 

Liam looked at Byron and then blinked before looking away. Those words hat hit home and he realized how much he had needed to hear someone say them. It had soothed something inside him he battled since he had been bitten.It would probably never fully go away but it felt lighter now. Like a weight had been lifted. 

“Thank you, Byron.”  
“Anytime, Liam.” 

He smiled once more and tilted his head. “Want to try another round of telling me what you hear and feel?”  
Liam nodded and closed his eyes while kneeling on the ground. He put his palm flat on the ground again and took a deep breath. “I hear the sound of the fire and the people chatting and laughing....There are crickets and I still hear the owl...The heartbeats. Not only from the pack but from animals. Faster than ours.”  
“What kind of animal do you think?”  
Liam considered. “A rabbit probably. It’s fast like it’s currently moving.” He concentrated harder. “I especially hear Theo’s heartbeat.” He suddenly realized. It was a melody he was accustomed to so he had not noticed it earlier. But it stuck out from the others. “Is it because he’s my anchor?”  
“That’s a very good explanation. You’re getting better at this. Go on, what do you feel?”  
“The ground soaked up the warmth of the sun, I can still feel it under my palm. Like it just waits to break free again. There’s wind, not strong but a soft breeze that flows steadily. If it changes the direction the heat of the fire gets transpired towards us.”   
“Amazing, Liam. And now tell me what you smell? Keep in mind what you sensed before and now add the smell to it.” Byron guided him.  
“I smell...the fire. The burning wood. And...” Liam inhaled. “The earth, it always smells so fresh in the forest. So pure. Like I can finally breathe again. I smell cedar too, the woods. I love that smell, it keeps me calm.”

Liam felt his wolf awakening inside him but not in the unpleasant way he was used to. No, his inner animal was interested in everything he was taking in, every sensation he felt, and clearly liked what he experienced. Liam could almost picture the wolf sitting beside him, head tilted and waiting patiently for what was about to come next.

“And now open your eyes, Liam, and tell me what you really see.”

Liam followed the demand and slowly opened his eyes. They were glowing golden, and he looked around. “I see the fire between the trees. Red and yellow and orange but also blue on the edges. The air swirls around it. I see the trees but they are not just dark, they have various shades of green and black and also blue.” He turned his head. “I see tiny paw prints, from the rabbit, on the ground.” Liam raised his head. “Did the stars always sparkle this brightly?”

Byron laughed softly. “They did but you never paid enough attention.” 

He clasped Liam on the back. “I am very proud of you. You were willing to get yourself into this experience and you did a great job for never having done it before. You are really a strong werewolf and you should be proud of yourself. I am proud of you, Liam Dunbar.”

Liam beamed at him, eyes slowly returning to their original blue color again. His wolf was satisfied and almost purred inside his chest. If they were back in Seattle, he would try to do exercises like this too. It helped him a lot. 

“Let’s return to the rest of the pack.”

Liam followed Byron pack and sat down next to Theo again who beamed at him before holding out his stick with the marshmallows for Liam. Liam took one and ate it happily. 

“Everything okay?” Theo asked and Liam nodded before he could swallow his food.

“We had another exercise, it was amazing again.” He told his friend and Theo smiled before squeezing Liam’s leg. Liam put his hand over Theo’s and leaned closer. “Thank you for having this idea. I really needed this weekend.”

“You’re welcome. We both needed it. I can relax too and seeing you so happy is also good for me. Means I have to worry less.” He smirked but the truth was he meant every word. Liam knew it and that’s why he snuggled a bit closer to Theo and put his head on his anchor’s shoulder. They both needed each other to be happy and calm and then they could be happy themselves. 

But before they could elucidate this any further Bernie involved Theo in another conversation and Liam was addressed by Shana and Lana. They got involved with their conversation partners and chatted happily, so distracted to notice that Liam still had his hand on top of Theo’s who still was resting on Liam’s leg and Liam still leaned against him even though he had raised his head again.

******

  
Sitting together with the pack and just talking was really interesting despite Theo and Liam being the youngest of the group. They were all incredibly open-minded and interested in talking with the younger member of another pack. Liam could not tell how long they sat there around the fire, but when it was time to walk back to the cabins, he grumbled in protest.  
“What do I have to pay you for you to carry me back?” He jokingly asked Theo and the chimera considered. “More money than you have.” He finally concluded and Liam huffed.  
“Talk about being a good friend.” He joked, making Byron and a few others laugh.

Liam yelped next moment, when Theo grabbed him by the hips and hoisted him up, throwing the young wolf over his shoulder. “Theo, no! No, no!” Liam yelled and tried to free himself but to no avail since he was already laughing so hard. One, because he was ticklish and secondly because the way Theo carried him was so absurd. “Put me down!” He demanded and pawed at the chimera’s back.  
“Thought you wanted to get carried.” Theo replied mercilessly and continued walking towards the cabin.   
“Yeah but not like that.” Liam complained and struggled in Theo’s grip. Damn, he had temporarily forgotten how strong the chimera really was.  
“Stop struggling or I’ll drop you!” Theo warned and Liam really stopped. Werewolf or not, he didn’t want to fall head first to the forest ground. “Or would you rather get carried bridal style?” Theo continued to tease Liam and the wolf growled and slapped Theo’s ass in retaliation. Is was the only thing he could do at the moment. Theo’s laugh echoed in his ears and he had to laugh too, despite his current position.   
“I was thinking about piggyback, you dork!”

Theo snickered and didn’t show any signs of putting Liam down again for a while until he suddenly did. He stopped and set Liam down on his own two feet, careful not to just drop him. Liam would have liked to say he didn’t frown and sulk but truth was, he did. Being close to Theo was nice, okay? No judgment, please!  
The chimera now stepped in front of Liam. “Hop on.” He offered and Liam’s eyes went as wide as saucers. “What, really?”  
Theo rolled his eyes but smiled fondly and Liam chuckled and then really jumped on his friend’s back. Theo grabbed him to keep him from falling off again and Liam wrapped his arms around Theo’s neck and his legs around his waist.   
“You’re the best.” He muttered and kissed Theo’s cheek, making the other smile fondly again.  
“Don’t say that too loud, I have a reputation to uphold.”  
“Hm hm.” Liam made sounds of agreement and snuggled closer to Theo, content with just getting carried to their cabin. 

He listened to the sounds around them on their way and again found the most intriguing sound to be Theo’s heartbeat. It was especially grounding to Liam, for whatever reason, and he felt himself relaxing even more into Theo’s warmth.

“You okay? You’re so quiet.” Theo asked him and when they arrived back at their cabin and had bid goodbye to the other wolves. Liam slipped off his back and hummed.  
“I’m fine, just trying to listen. You know, what Byron taught me really helps my wolf a lot. That and you being my anchor.”  
“Aw, you’re cute, puppy.”  
Liam squeezed his eyes shut. “God, I hate you so much, Theodore.”   
Theo laughed loudly and gently shoved Liam inside. “Time to sleep, puppy.”  
“You really, really like this nickname, huh?”  
“Because it fits you so perfectly.”

Liam narrowed his eyes at the chimera but then decided to let it slide for now. He shuffled up the stairs instead and got ready for bed. It was already the middle of the night and days off or not, he needed sleep. Not long after he had crawled under the covers, he was fast asleep. 

Next morning came early for Liam once again and he laid in bed and let his thoughts wander Theo was still sleeping and a part of Liam envied him for doing so. So Liam was left to his own devices and he thought about everything he already experienced since they arrived at the cabin. He felt sorry for Byron not having a successor. The pack deserved a leader who was as caring and as devoted as Byron and continued his legacy and the possibility of them not getting it broke Liam’s heart. Why were it always the good people who never had it easy? This pack was nice, open to sharing their values and philosophy with basically strangers, and they treated Liam and Theo like they belonged to them. 

“I can basically hear your thoughts running a mile per hour. It’s too early for that, puppy.” Theo mumbled sleepily and didn’t open his eyes.  
“Didn’t know you could read minds, Theodore.”  
Theo threw one of his pillows at Liam, still with closed eyes, and the Beta laughed. “You can accompany me to my morning run for that. Come on, get your ass out of bed!”

Liam himself swung his legs out of bed and went over to his clothes to change and get ready. Theo grumbled but reluctantly moved too and changed into running gear. “You are an incredibly demanding friend, has somebody ever told you that?”  
Liam grinned. “Yeah, I’m used to getting compliments from my friends. Now come on; if you run with me, I’ll make you your favorite breakfast.”  
“Baiting me with blueberry pancakes is evil!” Theo complained but followed Liam outside and started to jog into the woods with him. 

“I know your weaknesses. Sucks being one of my best friends, doesn’t it?” Liam answered nonchalantly. They ran next to each other and with every passing minute Theo got more and more awake and was actually able to enjoy the run.  
Their way led to what appeared a fitness trail and suddenly they were faced with an actual obstacle course.

“The hell is that?” Theo had not expected that and stopped in front of a wall practically waiting for somebody to climb it.   
Liam was also circling the various obstacles and suddenly Shana appeared, a basket with herbs under her arm. “It’s the fitness trail the pack uses. The wolves seem to enjoy the challenge and it’s also part of the harmony between wolf and person concept.” She explained. “It may look easy now but I’ve seen enough wolves falling off the different obstacles. If you want to try, have fun. It may take a while but it seems great fun also.”

She smiled and then wandered off to gather more herbs for her shop, and Liam and Theo shared a look. They were both competitive and it itched them both to try the obstacle course. 

The first few obstacles were challenging but manageable but then came the very steep wall. It had looked way smaller from the distance but from close and on the first try Liam slid down again without even reaching half of it. He tried again and again and at his fifth try he used a bit more speed and crashed right into the wall. He groaned and rubbed his forehead. Theo had stopped to watch Liam try and now grimaced. “That looked painful.” He commented and Liam groaned once more.  
“Yeah, it wasn’t really a butterfly kiss.” He snarled, still rubbing his forehead. He was already getting a headache. “This wall sucks. Try it!”

And Theo did try but even he couldn’t reach the top. Liam partly was okay with that, his competitive streak would have not handled Theo being better when he failed so spectacularly.  
“I hate this wall!” The chimera muttered after a while, slightly out of breath. 

“You are both not using your wolves, that’s why you are failing.”  
Byron had appeared out of nowhere and it seemed he had watched them for a while now. It was hard to hide his amusement. “You try to win this course by using your limited supernatural abilities instead of letting your inner animal help you. It won’t do much for you. But if you find the harmony, the balance, you can conquer it.” He made a motion with his hand. “Go on, both of you, channel your wolves and try again.”

Liam nodded, willing to try, but Theo made a skeptical sound. “I’m a chimera, it won’t work for me.” He told Byron.  
“Who tells you that?” The Alpha asked back and Theo’s brows furrowed.   
“Common sense, I’m not even a real supernatural being. I can’t harmonize my wolf that way.”   
“You said chimera. What parts are you?”  
“Partly wolf, partly coyote.” Theo replied, a bit defensive in his answers.   
“Both are animals I would assign to managing the course. Just give it a shot. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Liam knew what Theo was scared of. He always had the feeling of just being a copy, an imperfect copy, and never be as good as a real werewolf. It was an inferior complex he tried to lock up deep inside him but moments like this made it break through.  
He reached out and took Theo’s hand in his. “You are far better of being in control than me. If I managed to do it, you will be able to do it too without so much of a hitch.” Liam gave his roommate a vote of confidence and Theo smiled gratefully at him before huffing out a breath. “Okay, fine. What do I have to do?”

“Liam? Would you like to tell Theo?” Byron prompted and Liam nodded enthusiastically and turned to face Theo properly.   
“You close your eyes and you take a deep breath.” He instructed and followed his own words by doing just that, hearing Theo do the same. “Smell the nature around you; the cedar, the pines, and the flowers. Listen to the sound of the birds and the wind and our heartbeats. Can you hear it? Concentrate on not just going for what you know you should hear but listen closer. You will notice so much more.”

While he talked he tried to tune out his own voice and focus on every other sound around them. Theo’s heartbeat became a steady base and he heard the birds chirping and the rustling of leaves when a squirrel jumped from one branch to another.  He smelt the rich scent of the woods around them, the one that made him feel grounded like he found his center, right here and now. “Feel the way the sun gets warmer. How your skin soaks the sunrays up.” He continued and then felt Theo squeeze his hand.

And suddenly Liam gasped when it all became more intense than before. The birds chirped louder, the breeze flowed more prominent, he heard the noise of a waterfall somewhere in the woods he never noticed before, heard the clatter of dishes and pans when the people in the cabins started preparing breakfast, heard their chatter and the slower heartbeats of those who were still asleep. The scents increased, filling Liam’s nose with all of this aroma, cedar mixing with Theo’s very own scent. Theo, everything mixed with Theo, his heartbeat still guiding Liam. 

Liam’s eyes flew open and he looked directly at Theo who had opened his eyes too and they were glowing, just like Liam’s own eyes. Brighter than ever before, for a moment it appeared to Liam like melted gold was flowing through Theo’s irises and he just somehow knew his own eyes looked the same. His heart was beating so fast and for a moment he could just stare at Theo.

“Liam, Theo, run! Together!” Byron told them and they turned towards the obstacle course and then started running, letting their intertwined hands let go for the first time now. Liam felt his wolf howl happily inside his chest when he jumped, ran and climbed. The wall wasn’t so much of a problem this time, not with Theo next to him, and Liam felt incredibly good; like he could take on every challenge. This power was so intense, so much better than the brute force he had always used for his wolf.   
It was just Liam’s luck and maybe the fact he got a bit larking that it came to an end but it took two more obstacles and Liam missed a step, lost his balance and fell. It was enough for his wolf to retreat again and leave Liam being his usual self.

The crash to the floor hurt more than Liam expected and he gasped when pain flooded through his body, leaving him breathless. It had been his wrist which took the most of the fall and he sat on the forest ground, cradling his wrist, and tried to remember how to breathe again.  
“Liam!” Theo kneeled next to him, eyes wide in shock. Byron kneeled on Liam’s other side and inspected Liam’s injury.   
“Can you move your wrist? Try it slowly.” He said and Liam gasped again, air slowly returning into his lungs.  
“Fine...it’s fine...It’ll heal in a few hours.” He stammered and Theo gently took his arm in his hands.  
“You broke your wrist.” The older said softly and black veins started crawling up his bare forearms, Liam instantly relaxed when part of the pain left his body and he was insanely grateful for such a caring friend.

“I am sorry you injured yourself. I shouldn’t have let you go on the course, it was too early. It’s my fault.” Byron apologized and Liam gritted his teeth but shook his head.  
“It’s nobody’s fault but my own. I got too wild, too careless, that’s why I fell. Should have paid more attention to my feet.”  
Byron looked at Liam, amazement written on his face. “Look at you. You’re obviously in pain and you still make sure nobody else feels bad.”  
“It’s one of Liam’s strongest traits and sometimes it’s really annoying but he cares deeply about others and it motivates him to help them.” Theo said and rubbed Liam’s shoulder. Liam smiled groggily. With the pain in his body, exhaustion had come too and he wanted to curl up on the couch.  
“It’s my fault, not yours. Still, it felt good before I fell. So much energy.” He looked at Theo who nodded with a soft smile. He had felt it too. Liam slowly got to his feet. “Guess that means returning to the cabin.”  
Theo nodded and steadied him, not wanting to let his friend fall again. 

******

Liam awoke to somebody softly shaking his shoulder. He blinked and Theo’s face turned from blurry to sharp.   
“Hey, you’re with me?” Theo asked with a soft smile. He was leaned over the couch Liam was lying on. After they returned to the cabin, he had watched tv, wrist resting on a pillow, and somewhere between some reruns from old tv shows he had fallen asleep. Now he sleepily smiled at Theo.  
“Hey.”  
Theo chuckled. “Hey. How’s your wrist?”  
Liam rolled his wrist to check. It worked without a hitch and he smiled. “Healed.”  
“Great.” Theo nodded. “Lana called and invited us over for homemade spaghetti Bolognese to their cabin. And this time, she said it was Byron who cooked. He wants to apologize.”  
“For what? It was my fault.” Liam said and sat up completely. Theo pulled back to avoid getting headbutted by Liam and shrugged. “Seems like every Alpha has this complex going on when somebody gets hurt. Scott’s the same.”

He had that one right, Liam had to admit. So he nodded. “Of course, we are accepting.”  
Theo grinned. “Already did on your behalf. Now, hurry up, Sleeping Beauty, I’m starving.”  
“Aw, you think I’m beautiful? That’s so sweet. I really don’t know what to say.” Liam put both hands over his heart and fake swooned.   
“Well, you’re not ugly....” Theo just replied and shrugged. Liam blushed and got up from the couch to put on his shoes. Everything just so he didn’t need to look at Theo's face.  
“Let’s go.” He finally muttered and pulled Theo out of the cabin. 

When they arrived at Lana’s and Byron’s cabin and Lana opened the door, she pulled Liam in a hug. “Can you all stop acting like I almost died? I had worse injuries and yet I’m still here.”  
“You’re pretty stubborn when it comes to people worrying about you, aren’t you?” Byron asked and stepped next to Lana.   
“I hate people worrying about me.” Liam made clear and then smiled softly. “But thanks for the invite. It smells delicious.”

“Come in, come in and sit down, the spaghetti are ready.” Byron led them to the table and Liam and Theo took their seats. There were already two big pots, one with the noodles and one with the sauce waiting for them all and Lana sat on the opposite of the table. Byron made sure everybody got a big portion on their plates and then he sat down next to his wife.

They ate and talked, again falling into an easy conversation. When the food was gone, they moved outside to sit on the porch and just talk. “What you did on the fitness trail was amazing. I’ve rarely seen such a strong connection between two anchors. I must admit, I am curious how you two managed such a bond despite still being so young” Byron praised Theo and Liam and Theo sipped on his water and then shrugged.

“Liam freed me from hell. I guess that’s when the connection started. You can’t really get rid of someone who saved you.”  
“Especially not if the other sacrifices himself for you.” Liam added, grinning at Theo.  
“Only for Person A to ride into the Wild Hunt.”  
“And to come back to Person B who turned out to be quite good at keeping Person A from killing other people because they hurt their friends.”  
“Only for Person A to claim they wouldn’t die for Person B.”  
“After Person B said it first!” 

Lana and Byron watched the exchange between Liam and Theo who both rolled their eyes at the other at the end but then playfully nudged each other. “You’ve been through a lot together, that shapes a relationship. You two are good for each other, that something you see from the first moment you two interact.” Lana told them and Liam and Theo smiled at each other. 

“Having an anchor is one of the most important things. Not only to keep your wolf in check but also to ground you in real life situations. An anchor helps you not to lose your mind when life gets stressful. They help you settle, they help you organize yourself. Everything can be an anchor but it’s true, having a person as an anchor is the strongest thing to anchor yourself to. You will realize the importance of an anchor the older you get.” Byron said solemnly and Lana squeezed his hand. It had something invitingly and she gave him a look. 

“I take a wild guess and say you are each other’s anchors as well.” Liam said and the mated pair nodded. “It’s different when you’re mated but it would lead too far to explain this now. But as an Alpha, I realized the full impact an anchor has on you, how important it really is.” 

Byron put his glass aside and cleared his throat. “Speaking of, Liam I wanted to ask you something. I considered this quite long, tried to see it from the different point of views, but in the end, I always ended with the same result. I would understand if you said No but I want you to really take it into consideration and think about it before giving me your final answer.” Lana smiled at her husband and then at Liam who shared a confused look with Theo and then looked pack at Byron.

“Byron, what’s going on?”

“I didn’t make the decision lightheartedly but the more I thought about it the surer I know that it was the right one. Liam, I would like to hand over my power to you. I want you to become the next Alpha of the Morning Dew Pack. Do you accept?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry about the cliffhanger but I just had to. Because of reasons, okay? And because if I had not stopped there, the chapter would have been incredibly long and the next one just plain short. Hope you forgive me.
> 
> Also, I hope you like the connection between Theo and Liam and how deep it really runs. Theo can channel his chimera too, that’s awesome, right? 
> 
> To sum it up: Hope you liked it. Tell me what you think in the comments!


	4. Liam's decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam makes a decision regarding Byron's offer after some input from a very unexpected source.

Liam was pretty sure he had stopped breathing. All he could do was stare at Byron, eyes wide and not able to form any coherent sentences. Thoughts were racing way faster than just a mile per hour, too fast to grab a single one and think it through. So many things inside his head, so many questions and at the same time his mind was blank because of the unexpected offer he just received. He blinked, tried to focus on one thing, tried to will down his rapidly beating heart and remember how to breathe properly. 

Byron, Lana, and Theo all stared at him with various expressions on their faces. Lana had a hopeful smile, mixed with a proud look; Byron looked sure of what he had said, determined to stand with his offer; and Theo looked just as shellshocked as Liam and also worried because he obviously noticed Liam’s heart rate shooting through the roof. “Liam?” He said hesitantly and gently nudged Liam’s hand and that made Liam’s speech centrum kick into gear again.

“Why me?” He asked Byron because this was so far off the mark, so completely and utterly unexpected, he needed an answer. “Why me because I am anything but an Alpha. I am still so young and still learning and there is so much I don’t know. I make more mistakes than I can count. You just met me two days ago. Why do you think I would be a suitable successor to your legacy?”  
Byron furrowed his brow. “Liam, an Alpha never stops learning. We all learn, human or werewolf,  we never stop. Life is about learning and nobody is perfect, there is always room for improvement. Liam, all my life I have followed my heart and trusted my gut feeling, and I learned to trust my insight into human nature. I rarely met anyone as open to our philosophy as you. You are willing to work on yourself, you know your weaknesses and you try to become better and you care deeply about others. Every member of the pack noticed how open-minded and kind you were, so I stand with my offer. If there is anyone I would be willing to trust with my pack, it’s you.”

Liam shook his head, heart still beating frantically in his chest, and he jumped to his feet. “I don’t want you to settle for me because you think you won’t find a better successor. There is somebody out there way better for this than me. Don’t make me your last resort, please. Your pack deserves better.”  
“Liam.” Theo cut in and got up too. He could not sit there and let Liam put himself down like that. But before Theo could tell Liam that, Byron spoke up once more.

“You are not my last resort. You are everything I wish this pack. I don’t expect you to be perfect, I’m not either, and you know what I told you about young me. I know you are overwhelmed but I really want you to consider this. You are what this pack deserves and what it needs and it would benefit you too.”

“I suffer from IED!!” Liam’s voice had risen and he sounded helpless. “I can’t lead a pack when I tend to lash out if somebody angers me. I would start a war between packs one week into my new position. Your pack is peaceful, you all deserve someone to continue with that and don’t worry about an Alpha going on a killing spree because he’s pissed!”  
“That’s what anchors are for, Liam.  And your anchor does a pretty good job from my point of view.” Lana chimed in and looked at Theo who had put his hand on Liam’s neck.   
“Think about it, Liam, nobody expects you to answer right away. And she’s right. You learned how to stay in control over all those years, don’t let your condition mess with your head now.” The chimera spoke softly and pressed his thumb in a hard spot on Liam’s neck. It usually relaxed the young Beta but this time Liam’s shoulders stayed tense.   
“We...I...I need time to think. I am sorry, Byron.”

He plucked Theo’s hand from his neck, turned around and walked away, right back to their cabin and into the bedroom. He sat on his bed and stared at his fingers, trying to make sense of everything going on inside his head.

How could Byron seriously consider giving Liam all his power? Liam of all people? His Beta abilities were dangerous enough with his condition, even Stiles had said so, and Liam knew he was constantly working on staying in control and got better but being an Alpha meant more power and needing an even better grip on his control and he simply couldn’t do it. He wasn’t as smart as Stiles, Mason or Lydia, wasn’t as righteous as Scott or as brave as Malia. He would never be a good Alpha, he simply wasn’t good enough. There was so much he still needed to learn, he was still learning, how was he supposed to lead a pack?

Theo walked in and sat next to him; the two friends sat together in silence for a while until Theo finally broke the silence.  
“That was overwhelming, huh?”  
Liam didn’t answer and kept looking at his hands. They were shaking. Theo reached out and closed his hand around Liam’s. “Hey, look at me.”

The younger man raised his head and looked at his friend, blue eyes showing all the emotions running through him.  
“I’m not an Alpha, Theo.” He muttered weakly.  
“Not in the terms of red eyes and being addressed as one but aside from that you pretty much are one.” Theo corrected and Liam scoffed.  
“Sure....”  
“I’m serious, Liam.”

Theo kneeled in front of him when Liam looked away again, hands softly cupping Liam’s face. “When Scott left town, you took over and made sure Beacon Hills was safe; as safe as this town can be. You took care of Mason and Corey and when I came back you also took care of me.”  
“That was different. I just helped Scott. he was always the Alpha and you just called me Alpha as a joke but that’s it. A joke, you understand? Me being an Alpha is a joke.”  
“Liam.” Theo said with a soft sigh. “Stop it. Scott being there or not, you acted like an Alpha, you took care of your pack and an Alpha and we all waited for the day your eyes would flash red to match the behavior. And if you don’t believe that, take a look at what you did so far. You freed me from hell. A guy who tried to hurt and destroy your pack, kill your Alpha. How many people tried to tell you not to free me? I remember the sewers with Hayden and the Hauptmann. And I remember the look on your face when you broke the sword, even though Mason and Hayden told you not to. You stood up for me being your responsibility and you didn’t back down, not even in front of Scott. You went for what your gut feeling was telling you and you wanted to put up with me to gain an advantage against the Ghost Riders. I also remember how determined you were to lure the Riders away from Scott so he could remember Stiles. Liam, you were ready to sacrifice yourself for the sake of other people, because you knew they could save everyone. You really want to tell me this isn’t something an Alpha would do? You forgave Nolan, even though he beat you to a pulp. And you made sure us, the puppy pack, stayed safe. May I remind you of the selkie attack? You almost drowned while fighting it to save Mason. The faes in the cafeteria, you let them go after they promised to leave and not cause any more havoc. You willingly helped Alec with everything to figure out how being a werewolf works, lead him on,. Liam, these are only a few prime examples and if you really want to tell me this is not you being an Alpha, I will probably have to punch you to make you think straight again.”

“I am prone to fly off the handle. I almost killed Nolan. I broke your nose three times. How often can I do that to somebody when I’m an Alpha? How long do people accept my anger issues before they become a declaration of war? How am I supposed to lead when I am the one who constantly needs you around to make sure I don’t kill anybody. An Alpha should be a good example. What kind of leader does that make me?” Liam asked Theo, still broke and helpless.   
“A good one.” Theo replied simply and without missing a beat and Liam raised both eyebrows. “No, hear me out. I mean it. Yes, you are flawed; yes, you know how hard it is to stay in control. But that’s what makes you so good at leading others. Because you understand them, you get their struggles and you can help them overcome those.”

Theo smiled softly and pulled Liam closer so he could rest their foreheads together. “Take it from me of all people, Liam, because I am probably one of the most flawed people around. You know my story, you know what I did. And since coming back from hell, I feel like you always get me. Yes, we butted heads and there were moments I wanted to strangle you, not gonna lie. But somehow I always knew you understood me, got me. And you were the only one in the pack. You gave me the chance I needed and we both know I’m just an ally to Scott’s pack but when it comes to your pack? I am part of it. Because if I had to choose between Scott and you, I would go for you. Because you have your flaws and that means I connect way better with you than a True Alpha who is ethical and righteous by his nature.” His thumb stroke over Liam’s cheek. “And if you accept Byron’s offer, I would be more than happy to join this pack too if you want me. Plus I am pretty sure Mason will lose it when his best friend becomes an Alpha and immediately declare himself part of the pack too. So will Corey and Nolan. Because to us, you’re already an Alpha, you just need the red eyes for the rest of the world to see it too.”

Liam stayed silent and tried to level his breath. He unintentionally followed Theo’s breathing pattern, calming his body but his thoughts were still racing. This was all so much and he felt like the walls were closing him in. “I need fresh air, probably go on a walk through the woods.” He muttered and got to his feet. Theo stood up too but hesitated.  
“Want me to come with you or do you want to go alone?” He inquired.  
“Come with me, please?”

He was agitated, his feelings were all over the place and he needed Theo or he would completely lose it. He was relieved when Theo nodded and the two friends left their cabin, walking towards the woods and taking a path they never took before. Liam tried to inhale the scent that usually calmed him but today did very little to make him feel better. 

“What do you think Scott would say?” He suddenly asked and Theo shrugged.  
“He would probably be insanely proud. His first bitten Beta becomes an Alpha. I mean, hello? Proud Alpha Daddy.”  
Liam tried a weak smile. “Please, never call Scott Daddy ever again. Especially not in relation to me, okay?”  
Theo chuckled. “Okay.”

They wandered further into the woods and Liam tried to make sense of everything he was feeling.  
“Can I ask you something?” Theo asked, hands in the pockets of his jeans, and Liam shrugged. “What are you feeling right now? Aside from confusion and panic. Aren’t you the least bit proud Byron chose you? It is an honor, say what you want.”  
 The younger wolf stopped and thought about that. He had been so overwhelmed and panicked, he had never dwelled on if there was anything positive he was feeling. Now that Theo mentioned it, he searched for it. And yes, a little flicker of pride was there.   
“I’m flattered, I guess.”

“Flattered, huh? Being modest is also a good trait for an Alpha and we both know that. Byron knows it too and that’s why he asked you. So now, just for a moment, let us play a game. Just imagine what would happen if you accept Byron’s offer - and since you are so sure you won’t be a good Alpha - you are an excellent Alpha. Imagine your insecurities, your fears and your issues don’t get in the way and you actually rock being an Alpha.”

Liam snorted. “I can’t because when I think about me as an Alpha, I think about everything that could go wrong. That Scott would think I killed another Alpha to become one and kick me out of the pack; that everybody expects me to be a good and wise and reasonable Alpha and me screwing it up so that people die, people dying because of me and I can’t do anything against it. that I am not strong enough to handle all the pressure and end up being a disappointment.”  
Theo raised an eyebrow. “Wow, optimistic much?”  
Liam growled and flashed his eyes at Theo, his anger acting up. But Theo simply grabbed his chin. “And now imagine how much more effective this would be with red eyes.”

Liam growled again and yanked himself out of Theo’s grip, stomping away. He didn’t need his friend to make fun of him, that would only end in chaos and he would probably break Theo’s nose once more.   
He stormed through the woods until he suddenly stopped when he heard the telltale sound of the waterfall he had heard earlier too. It was closer now and Liam decided to follow it, not caring if Theo trailed behind or not. 

When he reached the waterfall, Liam stopped and leaned against a tree, letting the beauty of the scenery in front of him sink in. The waterfall wasn’t that big but surrounded by woods on one side and on the other side, he fell from a steep cliff. Around the small pond the waterfall flowed in were lots of rocks and pebbles on the ground and the whole ravine felt so secluded and hidden, Liam felt strangely protected. His feet dragged him closer to the water and he sat down, content with just watching the water cascade down for a while. 

Theo joined him a few minutes later and they both just watched the water. Liam inhaled again, trying to calm himself enough so he could think straight again.

“I like how the waterfall is so rough and untamed and just falls down such a steep cliff and yet it’s calming and beautiful to see it flowing into the pond. Can something be rough and calm at the same time?”

Theo chuckled softly before he answered. “As you can see, it’s possible. It’s all about what you focus on. If you focus on the way the water falls, it’s just rough. But if you pay attention to the pond, it’s only beautiful. Focusing on only one of the two only gives you one impression but if you focus on both, you get an incredibly strong and beautiful picture.” He gently nudged Liam. “Which can also be said about you as Alpha. If you focus on what can go wrong and on your issues, you miss a big part of what you could create and achieve. If you just focus on the glory and the status, you miss the hard work being an Alpha brings with it, and that means also missing a big part of the two.”

Liam sighed and let himself fall back, staring at the sky. It was getting darker and he had not noticed it until now, too caught up in his own world. “How does Byron knows I’m the best for the job?” He whispered and Theo laid next to him, their shoulders touching.   
“Because you have a good heart, Lee. It’s your greatest quality because it’s the root for every other good thing about you. Your caring personality, your will to forgive and help, hell even your stubbornness comes from it because you are only stubborn about things you are passionate about.”  
Liam smiled softly at Theo’s words. It was nice to hear them

They laid there in silence for a few more minutes until Theo spoke again. “When I first saw you I thought you were just a kid. As Scott’s little Beta who maybe had some anger issues and was basically nothing more than an ankle biter.”  
Liam frowned. “Geez, thanks.”  
Theo smirked. “Hey, you were what? Fifteen, close to sixteen? Come on, you were a kid! And I admit, after seeing you step between me and Stiles in the forest, I started thinking a bit differently about you. Because you had no idea what I was capable of and yet you were willing to fight for your pack member and protect him. It kind of impressed me, that you were so bold, even though I found it dumb in this moment. You always throw yourself headfirst into danger to save others. And over time I saw you doing this over and over again, stepping in the line of danger so others could go out unharmed. For friends and people you didn’t know. People who had treated you badly. Like Byron said, you are developing some kind of an obsession of helping people if you think somebody needs it. So much you take in a stray chimera sleeping in his truck, even though your pack still worries he might snap and kill you in your sleep.”  
“I knew you had changed and I came across your truck that particular night.” Liam played it off.  
“Lie. You actively searched for my truck, puppy.”  
Liam huffed, both at the nickname and the fact Theo had called him out on his lie. “So what?” He finally muttered.  
“Nothing, just proved my point. To me, all those things make you an Alpha, a good Alpha. Wil you do everything right? No. Will you make mistakes? Bet on it! But will you ever let somebody down who needs help? Never! You want to help even if it’s not your business in the first place. And all that is what Byron sees in you. Hence why he asked you to become the next Alpha.”

Liam bit his lip. “I am so afraid to screw it up. This is not a lacrosse game, you know? If I screw up on the field I can be mad at myself, the team may be pissed, but they will forget it after a while and I know better next time. Being an Alpha is not like that. I make mistakes, people get hurt and probably killed. I don’t know if I want to be responsible for that. No, scratch that, I don’t want to be responsible.”

Theo sat up. “Do you think Scott is a good Alpha?”  
“Of course. He’s the best.”  
“Did people die and got hurt in Beacon Hills?”  
“That’s different. He tried to protect them but he can’t be anywhere, unfortunately. It wasn’t his fault.”  
“So if people die under Scott’s Alpha watch it’s not his fault but if they die under your Alpha watch it is your fault? That makes no sense at all, Liam.”

Liam groaned. “I’m so young, Theo.”  
“How old was Scott when he became an Alpha?”  
“Okay, stop it, I get it!” He rubbed his eyes and then stared at the sky again, watching the stars. 

“This is crazy.” He muttered and Theo just made a sound between a snort and a chuckle.  
“Says the werewolf who shares his apartment with a werewolf/coyote hybrid and whose best friend is a human in a relationship with a werechamelion.” He replied and now Liam had to chuckle too.  

******

  
They had stayed out for at least one hour more and then got up and made their way back to the cabin. Once they were home, Liam took a nice hot shower and then crawled into bed. He was still thinking about every outcome, every possibility, but he felt calmer now. Sleeping over it would probably the best idea at this night.

“Good Night, Theo, and thank you.” He muttered.

“Good Night. You’re welcome.” Theo replied and closed his eyes while Liam turned off the light. He rolled on his side and stared at the dark wall, trying to calm down enough to fall asleep. It was only possible when he started listening to the sound of the woods around them. Crickets, owls, and rustling of leaves lulled him in and after a while, Liam fell asleep.

_He woke up to the sound of movement beside him. Opening his eyes slowly Liam expected Theo to be awake again but the chimera was sleeping soundly in the other bed, breathing calm and regular, so he wasn’t having nightmares either._

_A movement from the corner of his eyes made Liam turn his head and he could have sworn he saw a shadow leaving the room. “Theo? I think somebody is in the cabin!” Liam hissed but Theo didn’t even move in his sleep._

_Liam sighed and got out of bed, about to follow whatever had been in their bedroom. He walked out of the bedroom and looked around, seeing the shadow or whatever leave through the front door and the door wide open. Maybe it was risky but Liam had to follow and so he walked down the stairs only stopping to slip in his sneakers and then walked out of the cabin._

_It was already early morning, the world grey around them since the light of the morning wasn’t as strong around this time. But enough for Liam to see the thing disappearing into the woods and Liam went chase. He could not let it get away, whatever it was. It had woken him up, something told Liam it was for a good reason and he needed to know why._

_The chase went on for a while and every time Liam felt like he was closer, the thing put more space between them again. But then they landed on the place where the pack had gathered for the fire and Liam stopped abruptly when he noticed what he had been chasing all the time. A real wolf with lighter brown fur sprinkled with white and grey. His sharp eyes watched Liam carefully and Liam instinctively took a step back. But the wolf just sat down and kept watching Liam and the nineteen-year-old hesitated. The animal didn’t seem hostile or ready to attack but he was still careful._

_“Why were you in our cabin?” It felt silly talking to an animal but he needed to ask. Maybe the animal, Liam somehow knew it was a real wolf, would communicate with him. But the wolf just blinked lazily and kept on watching Liam and he felt incredibly silly.  
_

_“Okay, look, you have your life, I have mine. I’ll go now. Have fun around here. Your territory is pretty nice. It’s your territory, right? Okay, yeah, you’re not talking to me, got it. I should really go now.”  
_

_The wolf lowered his head and that’s when his golden eyes started glowing. Liam gasped but not because he was afraid; no, he gasped because in this moment he knew. Those eyes, he saw them every time he shifted. It were his own._

_“You’re him, right? My inner wolf. The animal part of me.”  He exclaimed and the wolf nodded curtly. “Why are you here? Why did you come to me?” Liam inquired and stepped closer. It was a part of him, the animal would not hurt him.  
_

_Now the wolf huffed and nudged his snout against a patch of grass. Liam tilted his head in confusion and stepped even closer. His wolf raised his head and Liam looked at the grass. Droplets were shining in the early morning sun. Morning Dew._

_The young Beta groaned and kneeled down in front of his wolf. “Are you serious? You know I don’t think I am good enough.”  
_ _If it was possible for a wolf to give him a pointed look, Liam just got that from his animal. His animalistic side was clearly not one you could fool. “What if I screw up? They don’t deserve that.”_

_The wolf huffed and got to his paws, trotting toward the logs the pack had sat on and jumped right in the middle of them, again watching Liam. And Liam understood what he was trying to tell him._

_You have a pack. They will help **.**_

_Human and animal had a stare off for a few moments. There was so much Liam wanted to ask or say, maybe even confess, but he could not bring himself to say a word. This whole encounter was surreal, he was aware of that, and yet it filled him with so much, filled his heart with hope and confidence to trust in his own abilities and to trust himself._

_And slowly the wolf made his way towards Liam again. They still stared at each other again, the animal’s eyes glowing again and Liam flashed his own eyes in response. He got what his inner animal wanted to tell him._

_His hand reached out to touch his wolf’s fur, right when a breeze picked up and suddenly Liam was alone, hand still stretched out..._

Liam blinked and looked around. He was alone but still kneeling at the pack’s meeting place. His dream had obviously made him sleepwalk but he couldn't care less at the moment. He slowly got to his feet again and looked around, looked down on the lake and the cabins he saw from on top of the hill. The wind was still playing around him and his eyes were still glowing gold. A smile appeared on Liam’s face and he turned around to walk back to the cabin.

When he left the forest and the cabin came in sight again, he saw Theo discussing something with Lana and Byron. They all were still in their pajamas and seemed agitated. When Theo spotted him, he stopped mid-sentence and stormed towards him.  
“The hell have you been? I wake up and you’re gone, the front door is wide open and your running gear is untouched. I was scared!” He hissed and Liam raised his shoulders in an apology.   
“I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m sorry.”  
“Why are you still dressed in your PJs? What’s going on?” 

Liam put his hand on Theo’s chest, right over his heart, feeling how fast it beat. “I will explain it to you later in every single detail, I promise. For now calm down, okay?” He said softly and maybe it was the touch or his words but Theo took a breath and his heart rate slowed down again.Liam nodded with a smile and then let go off Theo again in favor of turning his attention towards Byron and Lana. 

Byron stepped forward. “Liam, I am sorry if I overwhelmed you. It had never been my intention to hurt you or make you sad.”  
“Byron, it’s okay.” Liam said clemently. “But I have a question or rather a suggestion.”  
“Shoot right away.” Byron said, seemingly feeling like he had to make something up to Liam. 

Liam cleared his throat. “You’ll need a council around here. Maybe with a chairman or not, that’s up to you. Because someone needs to guide the pack around in case of anything coming up while your Alpha is at college.” At the end, Liam broke out in a bright grin. “I mean, it was you who picked a nineteen-year-old as your successor, so we have to consider this.”

The reactions he got were spectacular. Theo all but yelled “You’re doing it??”, Lana squealed and Byron pulled Liam in a tight bear(wolf?)hug while laughing happily.  
“These are the best news I heard in a long time!” The current Alpha announced loudly and when he let go of Liam, Lana hugged him and kissed his cheeks.  
“You wonderful person, you will be a wonderful Alpha, I know you will! Oh, let me hug you, you wonderful young man!”  
“No squishing the next Alpha!” Theo said with a laugh and Lana reluctantly let go of Liam. Theo put his hand on Liam’s shoulders. “What changed your mind?”  
“Hm, I will tell you later in detail. For now, let’s say my inner wolf is hard to ignore.” Liam answered with a smile and then poked his finger against Theo’s chest. “And you, Mister, I am still scared and need my anchor. You’re with me, right?”  
Theo smiled widely. “With you as long as you want me.” He promised and Liam hugged him tightly. 

“I’m proud of you.” Theo whispered into his ear and Liam smiled against Theo’s shoulder. “Thank you. For being there.” He whispered back and Theo squeezed him tighter. 

When they parted, Byron clapped them both on the backs. “Let me invite you two to breakfast. You deserve to taste some of Lana’s french toasts.”  
Liam smirked. “Sounds amazing. I’m starving.”

The four of them walked to Lana and Byron’s cabin and Liam realized Theo must have interrupted their breakfast in his search for Liam. He felt a tad sorry but when they sat gathered around the breakfast table and started eating, he felt happier than before. It was the right decision and he was grateful his wolf had shown him this. 

“Tell me about the ritual. How does the transfer work?” Liam asked before taking a bite from his toast.  
Byron sipped on his coffee, then he put his mug down. “The ritual consist of Shana reciting about our ancestors, how they build the pack and how important the harmony between person and wolf is. She will ask me if I’m aware what giving my power up means and if I affirm, she will ask you if you know what taking over means. You need to vow to keep the pack’s values and be the best Alpha you can be and when we both affirmed, she, as the emissary, accepts on behalf of the pack. Until that point every pack member could have interfered; it never happened in our history though, and if nobody speaks up, the transfer takes place. It’s basically the same as taking pain but instead of taking something, you push something; the Alpha spark. I advertise you on eating good before. It is exhausting for both sides and you don’t want to black out. 

Liam nodded, that made sense, and took another bite from his toast. Theo had sipped his coffee and listened but now he spoke.  
“How can the Alpha power get taken from your Alphas? I mean, given that another werewolf wants to become an Alpha themselves. Can they just kill the Alpha?” It was an important fact and something Liam had not thought about before. But he needed to know what to expect since he knew from experience with Scott there were always people wanting to take your power.   
“In this regard, our Alpha is very much like a True Alpha. The power can only be given away if the Alpha decides to do so or if one of their bitten Betas take it from them. A werewolf with no ties to the Alpha can kill them but still won’t become an Alpha themselves; their eyes would stay gold or rather blue.”  
“Good to know.” Liam muttered, still munching his toast. There was so much to consider and he would be the first to admit, he was still scared of everything going to hell; but the hope that it would not was bigger than yesterday. Besides, Liam was pretty sure his wolf would never just appear because he felt like it but because he wanted to show Liam he trusted in his abilities to lead the pack. So for once, he would trust the wolf inside him.

******

  
“Are you going to tell me what changed your mind?”Theo asked and moved his meeple over the board. After they had breakfast with Lana and Byron, they returned to their cabin, Byron promising he would organize everything and Liam just needed to show up. After taking showers and getting dressed, the two friends had decided to play some board games to pass the time and settled on Labyrinth.  
Liam grinned when it was his turn to move his meeple and he moved it towards the first symbol without having to push any token on the board, turning his card around after doing so and Theo groaned softly but returned the grin. “If I tell you, you will call me crazy.”  
“One: You promised to tell me. Two: You are my best friend, I already know you are crazy.” Theo countered and moved another line of tokens before collecting his first item as well.   
Liam played with the little card Theo handed over and sighed. 

“I woke up to movement in our room. I thought you were up already at first but when I opened my eyes you were still sleeping and a shadow just left our bedroom. I called for you but you didn’t wake up and so I decided to follow the shadow myself.”  
Theo raised an eyebrow. “Probably one of the stupidest things you ever did. It could have been dangerous.”  
“You weren’t waking up, what was I supposed to do?”  
“Well, not follow some strange shadows!”  
“ _Anyways_.” Liam rolled his eyes and continued. “I followed the thing and it led me right into the woods. We ended at the fireplace on top of the hill and that’s when I saw what I have been following all along. Or rather who.”

Theo raised both eyebrows now when Liam stopped. “Well?” he questioned after a while, slightly impatient. Liam knew how to rile him up. Now the younger grinned happily  
“My inner wolf. He looks way different than I imagined and he’s quite pretty if I’m being honest here.”   
“Your inner wolf isn’t a real animal.” Theo argued back and Liam shrugged.  
“Well, he was a real wolf, at least in my dream, and despite him not talking, he helped me to realize that I have a pack and I’m not alone in this. I have you, I have Mason, I have Byron and Lana and all the others.” Liam puffed out a breath. “I knew you would think I’m crazy but it really felt like he was real and stood in front of me. He even let me touch his fur for a very short moment and it felt so real. Then he was gone and I found myself on the hill, next to the fireplace.”  
“You sleepwalked. A typical thing happening during a dream journey. And no, I don’t think you’re crazy because of that.”  
“Dream what?” Liam asked with a frown.  
“Dream journey. A journey where your subconscious leads you to a place or event to make you realize things or cope with things.” Theo explained.  
Liam had to agree, that sounded logical. “I really like you knowing so many things. It’s really nice.”

Theo tilted his head and Liam could have sworn his friend blushed slightly. “Well, I read.” He simply explained and Liam smirked. “Reading is sexy.” And this time he was sure Theo blushed. Huh, nice to know he could do that to the chimera too. It usually felt like Liam was the only one blushing.

“What will your first action as Alpha be?” Theo now asked him and Liam stared at him before shrugging.  
“Uhm, I don’t know? I mean, I haven’t thought this far. Do I need to do something? Don’t tell me I need to give a speech. I hate speeches!”  
“And we’re back to freaking out. Relax, puppy, I was just joking. Uh, can I still call you puppy when you’re the Alpha?”  
“No.”  
Theo grinned and Liam sighed. “You will never stop calling me that, hm?”  
“Absolutely not!” Theo announced cheerfully and Liam groaned. He should have expected that. But then he got an idea and smirked. “I could order you to stop calling me that. I will be your Alpha after all.”

His Alpha. Now that he said it they both seemed to realize the weight it held. This was not just two friends being each other’s anchors because they went through so much together, this was deeper. Theo finally had a real pack to belong and Liam knew he had the most loyal Beta ever and he would protect Theo at all cost.  
“Would you do it?” Theo now asked, hazel eyes searching Liam’s blue ones, their gaze locking.  
“Do what?” Liam asked back, never averting his eyes.  
“Order me?”  
“To stop calling me puppy or in general?”  
“Both.”  
“No. Only to stop yourself from getting killed.”

Liam shook his head with a soft laugh and Theo returned it. It was good to know not much would change between them, he could still count on the chimera and he would still fight by Theo’s side.

******

  
“God, I’m so nervous.” Liam muttered and jumped up and down.   
Theo next to him chuckled but then he put both hands on Liam’s shoulders to keep him still. It was already dark outside and close to the start of the ritual and Liam was more nervous than before his first lacrosse game.   
“What if I fail? I’m not sure failing at the ritual is a good way of starting my life as Alpha.”  
“Hey.” Theo used his hold on Liam to pull him in, their foreheads touching once more. “You will nail this, okay? Just be your usual kind self and you will totally rock this ritual. Everything will be fine. Just relax, okay?” He told Liam softly and Liam sighed, shoulders sagging. Being close to his anchor and listen to the sound of Theo’s voice which told him everything was going to be fine helped with his anxiety and he felt better. Now Theo squeezed his neck softly.   
“Come on, it’s showtime.”

Liam took one last breath, pulled away from Theo and they left their cabin to walk towards the meeting place. Every step he took made Liam’s heart race even more. He was nervous but also so very excited about the whole thing because he knew this was the right decision.  
And when they finally arrived on top of the hill and he saw Lana, Byron, and Shana looking at him, his heart jumped in his throat. This was really happening,. It had felt like a dream until now and he just realized what was going to happen. Liam still stood with his decision and stepped towards the adults, but this was so incredibly thrilling. Lana smiled and hugged him. “Thank you.” She muttered into his ear and he briefly hugged her tightly to show he appreciated it. Byron gave his arm a soft squeeze when Lana and Liam ended their embrace and Shana smiled warmly at him. “Ready?” She asked and Liam nodded.   
“Let’s get started.”

He smiled at Theo who smirked and held out his fist for a fist bump. Liam bumped his fist against the chimera’s but then Theo pulled him into a hug, calming Liam’s nerves and he inhaled Theo’s scent while hugging him back before stepping away again and following Shana and Byron in the middle of the place.

Lana and Theo stayed on the side. “Will it hurt him?” Theo asked the Alpha’s mate, still watching over Liam.  
“He will be fine. They both will be.” She answered with an affirming smile directed at him,

Shana meanwhile cleared her throat and started her ritual. She looked around and then at Byron and Liam. “Our ancestors settled into this area to create something new. Driven by the desire to create an environment where their children could grow in peace, despite what they were, and learn what their place in life was, they all came together. They never had much but they were okay with that because they didn’t need much. Nature was giving them food, nature was giving them water and nature was giving their wolves a way to express themselves and feel more accepted in a peaceful way. They never went to war, they never fought with other packs for power or land or food. They protected, they defended, but our ancestors never destroyed. This, of course. is only because they learned that wolf and person are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have the person without the shadow of the wolf, you cannot have the wolf without the impact of the person. Only if you know how to balance these, you will be able to nourish, to protect, to lead. If you don’t find the balance, you will never be able to reach your full potential, that you should be aware of.”

She paused looking at Liam and Byron who both nodded. Shana then turned to Byron and took his hands in hers. “Byron, old friend, you have been an Alpha for decades. You guided our pack and you always have been a good and wise Alpha. You never doubted your pack and every single member was treated like your son or your daughter. You aided when it was necessary; you gave advice if needed. I never saw you using your status to gain advantage for yourself and I always admired this about you. You were humble, you were respectful and I am proud to call you my friend. We went through a lot together and I don’t want to miss your friendship.” She chuckled. “But now you decided to hand over your Alpha power, spend the rest of your life as Beta. You want to enjoy the rest of your days with your mate and only support the pack instead of leading. You deserved it. So, I’m asking you, are you aware what giving your power up means? Tell me now if you are ready to transfer your Alpha spark and return to being a Beta.”

Byron smiled at her and nodded. “I have rarely been so sure in my life. I made the right decision. I am aware what that means and I am willing to go through with it. I, Byron Fairclay, current Alpha of the Morning Dew Pack, hereby agree to transfer my Alpha spark to my worthy successor Liam Dunbar.”

A shiver ran down Liam’s spine at his words and he smiled at Byron. This was all so solemn and he was speechless about the mood it created. Shana now hugged Byron and then turned to Liam. “Liam, I only met you yesterday but I know you are kind. I know you are smart and I know you will do everything for this pack. You are strong, Liam Dunbar, and caring comes easily to you. Your open-minded spirit makes you sensible to so much going on around you and you strive to be one with nature. Keep up the will to always improve yourself, learn new things, it will lead you far in life. You are young, one of the youngest we ever had, but I know this will be good for all of us. I know Byron made the right decision to chose you and I will be very happy to call you my Alpha. Whenever you need someone, just call, okay? If you have any questions, come to me. Never be afraid to ask.” Liam nodded with a smile and she squeezed his shoulder. “You know being an Alpha means being responsible. It means protecting other people and care about them as if they were your family. You become leader, idol, guide, you become a rock if someone needs it; you become someone to look up to. You need to continue our values, need to teach them to others. So I’m asking you, Liam, do you accept the Alpha spark and all the responsibility that comes with it and leave your status as Beta behind?”

Liam nodded again, heart still beating fastly, but a happy smile on his face. “I know it’s a lot to live up to, but I am ready to take over Byron’s legacy and continue it. I may not do anything like him, I am my own person, but I will continue to protect this pack and others who need it and lead the pack the way Byron did. As good and respectful leader. I, Liam Dunbar, am ready to accept the Alpha spark from Byron Fairclay.”

Shana beamed at him and hugged him when he ended. “The pack had a good Alpha and will get a good Alpha. We know you both have in mind what’s best for us and we look forward to the leadership of you, Liam. I hereby accept Liam Dunbar as new Alpha on behalf of the Morning Dew Pack.”

She let go of both of them and Byron turned to Liam. “Extend your arm.” He instructed and Liam did as he was told. Byron grabbed his bare forearm with both hands like he would have done if Liam needed healing. He looked at Liam and then nodded curtly before concentrating. And that’s when Liam felt it. Starting from the points where Byron’s hand touched his skin a warm feeling spread out and it got warmer and warmer, spreading through his whole body until it felt like it was burning. It never hurt though but Liam saw the power pulse in Byron’s veins and felt it pulsing through his own. The fire inside him got stronger, making it feel like there was melted gold flowing freely under his skin, and at one point it got so intense and Liam understood what Byron had meant when he said it was exhausting. It was tiring but at the same time he felt this power pulse and flow through his body, heart drumming wildly and at the same time, he felt oddly content. His senses turned sharper; eyes, nose, ears, all became better and sharper suddenly.

And then it stopped and Byron’s grip loosened, the old Alpha slightly swaying on his feet. Liam immediately steadied him. “Whoa, careful.”  
Byron chuckled tiredly. “Thank you....Alpha.”   
And when Liam looked up, Byron’s eyes were flashing gold. Turning his head Liam noticed Lana’s and Theo’s eyes glowing gold as well and then when he saw them: The whole pack had gathered and they all were flashing their eyes to show their support. Liam would lie if he said his heart didn’t leap at this. That was overwhelming.  
“Liam.” Shana said softly and when Liam turned his head into her direction she handed him a hand mirror. “Your eyes.”

Liam took the mirror from her and when he looked at his reflection, his heart leaped again. His eyes flashed but not on their usual gold color but in a deep red color now. Alpha red. Liam stared at himself and that’s when the realization fully sunk in,

“I’m an Alpha.” He said, moved to tears and smiled shyly, handing the mirror back at Shana and scratching his neck because he was embarrassed by his sudden emotional outburst. But this was huge! Byron next to him chuckled and pulled Liam into a hug. “You are an Alpha. Congratulations, my son. And again, thank you so much.” He muttered into Liam’s ear and Liam hugged him tightly. Next to congratulate him were Shana and Lana who could not refrain from peppering his face with kisses again, thanking him over and over again and saying how proud she was of him.

And then it was Theo’s turn. They looked at each other for a while and then Theo grinned brightly, opening his arms and Liam more or less flung his arms around Theo’s neck. Theo laughed and returned the tight hug. “Congratulations, Liam. You deserve this so much.” The chimera whispered and Liam swallowed. “You’re part of this pack. You’re my first Beta. You know that, right?”  
“Yeah, I know.” Theo replied softly and hugged Liam tighter.

“Hey, guys, let’s hear something for our new Alpha!” Bernie called out and the whole pack erupted into cheers and started applauding and cheering for Liam. Theo let go of him so he could cheer Liam on too and Liam shyly accepted the applause, a light blush on his face but a smile evident too. Adrenaline and joy were flooding through his system and he felt all this new power but currently, he was too ecstatic to fully realize this, still too caught up in the moment, It would take a while until it fully dawned him.

The pack started to gather around, some seemingly had brought food and drinks again. “This calls for a celebration, right?” Cedric asked Byron and Liam. Old and new Alpha shared a look.   
“We still have to discuss my idea with the council.” Liam said and Byron nodded. “But we can discuss this tomorrow. For tonight, let the pack celebrate.” Liam then decided and Byron laughed and patted his shoulder.  
“You will be an amazing Alpha.”

Liam beamed at him. had he been anxious before, he now knew it had been the right decision to accept Byron’s offer and take over from the man. Knowing it could go wrong all the time was probably something every Alpha experienced and suddenly Liam could understand Scott a bit better. But for tonight he would not think about the _what ifs_ , he would enjoy the gathering with his pack. It was insane but seeing them all together in one place, made him feel content and he felt the surge of power. An Alpha was as strong as his pack and this pack was peaceful but strong and Liam felt a proud smile break over his face. And with every pack member coming to him, hugging him and congratulating him, he felt himself getting more and more content because they were all happy and healthy. 

Liam took his time with every single one of them, even the children who were very happy to chat with the Alpha. It was obvious how much they had adored Byron and now thought Liam was cool.   
“Can you flash your eyes?” A boy named Matty asked and when Liam indeed let his eyes glow red, he squealed happily. “So cool”

Liam heard a well-known laugh beside him and got up when the mothers pulled their children away to let the Alpha breathe. “Look at you, already in Alpha mode and making the kids love you.” Theo said amusedly and handed Liam a cup with beer. “Lana said you are still nineteen but tonight she's turning a blind eye.” He explained and held out his own cup.

“To you being the amazing Alpha you always were, now with the red eyes to match.” He said and Liam laughed.

“And to my first Beta, my anchor, and one of my best friends because without you I would have never said yes.” He added and Theo laughed when they clinked their cups together and drank, and then slung an arm around Liam’s shoulder. 

While he pulled Liam closer to the food, Liam took one look around and he could have sworn he saw a wolf with lighter brown fur stand a bit further away, watching them and when he saw Liam noticing him, he bowed his head, eyes flashing red, but when Liam looked closer, the wolf was gone.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I am curious what you have to say about this. This chapter was fun to write and means a lot to me and I hope I did Liam justice by describing his feelings and his way to finally becoming an Alpha. Was it like you expected it to be? Any thoughts on his inner wolf? Feel free to share your feelings with me, whatever it is, I am happy to receive it.


	5. The Alpha always protects his pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam figures out how his everyday life is influenced by him being an Alpha know and the bond between Theo and him gets explored a bit more.

Liam sat on the ground, back rested against the cabin he shared with Theo, a glass of ice cold ice tea in hand and legs stretched out. He was observing the nature around him, enjoying to see the woods and the lake in the sunlight. It was so hot, probably the hottest day ever. Theo sat beside him, also sipping his ice tea and just watching the scenery in front of them. It was the friends’ way of saying goodbye for now because the four days were almost over and they had to drive back home to Seattle. They had decided to drive back in the afternoon, so they could spend time with the pack and Liam could settle some Alpha things.

He had already met with the pack and they discussed his idea of the council. It was important so Liam knew the pack was in good hands even though he was away at college. He would always come as fast as possible if he was needed but he knew he couldn’t always be around to figure some things out. Byron and the others had liked the ides and after only a short discussion about the parameters, it had been decided that Byron would become the chairman and Lana, Shana, Cedric, Bernie, and Valentina were the other council members. If something came up, they would know how to handle it and if it became a bigger issue would call Liam.

It was good to know this was settled and decided. Liam could leave with a good feeling, knowing his pack was safe and taking care of. His pack. It still made Liam shiver when he thought about them that way and he grinned brightly every time. He had arrived at the cabin as just as Beta and member of a pack and now he was suddenly part of two packs; because he still considered himself Scott’s Beta and probably would always do that, but he knew he had to lead his own pack now.

“Crazy how much can change in such a short amount of time, huh?” Liam asked and sipped his tea.  
Theo hummed. “It was supposed to be a normal weekend to relax. We can’t do anything normal, what?”  
“Yeah, no.” Liam agreed with that. “Normal is too boring for us.”

Theo laughed and tilted his face towards the sun. “Is it bad I want to stay here?”  
“Huh, well if you stay you can’t get your favorite coffee from your favorite coffee shop. You also would miss our apartment and you love living in Seattle. And you want to finish your degree. Aside from that, it’s perfectly fine with wanting to stay here.” Liam answered with a laugh. “We need to come back as soon as possible.”  
“You have to come back for sure. It’s your pack living here, Alpha.”

The younger of the two snickered and continued to drink his ice tea. “You’re coming with me. That’s an order, Headbeta in charge.”  
“Oooooh, I like that title.” Theo smiled and emptied his own glass.  
Liam huffed and rolled his eyes. “Of course you do.” He said teasingly. Theo reached out and poked his side, making Liam jump slightly. Alpha or not, he was still ticklish.

“I swear, Theodore!”  
“Yeah, love you too, puppy!”  
“Of course you do!” Liam said with a big smile on his face. “I am lovable.”  
Theo snorted at that. “Don’t push it. You can be a real brat sometimes.” He replied and Liam gasped in fake shock.   
“How can you say that?? I am always loveable and a joy to be around!”  
Theo laughed. “Whoever told you that lied to your face.” He mocked and Liam gasped again.   
“Falsehood! How dare you to say that, Theodore!”

Theo plucked Liam’s now empty glass from his hands and set it on the ground next to his own empty glass. When that was out of the way, he lunged at Liam, tackled him to the ground and started yet another vicious tickle attack. Liam screamed and laughed, tried to get away as soon as possible. Then grabbed Theo’s hands to stop him but the chimera was tricky and always managed to escape Liam’s hold one way or another so Liam had to grab him again.

They rolled around on the ground and suddenly Liam had Theo pinned beneath him, using his hands to pin Theo’s wrists above his head. He grinned down on the obviously surprised chimera.  
“Fuck, you’re stronger now!” Theo realized and Liam snickered.  
“Damn right I am. From now on I can pin you too.” He pondered for a moment and then added “Little Beta.” for teasing purposes.   
But Theo shook his head. “No.”  
“No?” Liam repeated, wavering between amusement and curiosity. “You are my Beta.”  
Theo looked up at Liam, eyes flashing gold. “But I’m not little.” He gave back.

Liam still had him pinned to the ground and when Theo flashed his eyes, his own eyes glowed red. It was playful, nothing serious, and he smirked while sitting up, still straddling Theo and looking down on him,

“Liam, Theo, we...Oh, I didn’t want to interrupt anything!”

Their heads snapped up when Lana suddenly appeared around the corner and they hastily got to their feet. Lana did nothing to hide her smirk. “I can come back later if you want.”  
“No, it’s fine, we were just play-fighting.” Liam explained, feeling his face heat up. She gave him a knowing look and smirked even wider.   
“Sure thing.”

Liam cleared his throat and scratched his cheek. “Can I help you with something?”  
“You said you wanted to wait until everybody is here and then say goodbye before leaving. We’re all here now.” She explained and her smile turned a bit sad. She had told Liam if she could she would keep him and Theo here but she understood they had their life in Seattle.   
“Oh.” Liam had not expected the farewell to come so soon and he looked at Theo who looked as sad as he felt. They shared a look and Theo tried a soft smile. They would return soon, they both knew that. 

“Okay, let’s go.” Liam said and picked the two empty glasses from the ground to carry them inside. They had tidied the cabin after they packed everything, even though Lana had insisted that wasn’t necessary; now he put the two glasses in the sink. Lana swatted his hand away when he went for cleaning them. “That’s our job, you have done more than enough!” She scolded softly and ruffled his hair. Liam sighed but decided to let her have this.  
So he grabbed his bag and shouldered it while Theo did the same with his bag. After packing they had left their bags at the door and now took one last look at the cabin before leaving through the front door with Lana in tow.

Around Theo’s truck stood the whole pack, waiting to say Goodbye to their new Alpha and new pack member. Shana was the first one to step forward and hug Theo and then Liam. “Take care, both of you. Do good in school and if you need something, call. You will never annoy me.” 

“Yeah, Shana, we know.” Both young men chorused, making everyone laugh. She ruffled Liam’s and Theo’s hair and then stepped aside to give Lana the chance to say Goodbye. And Lana did. Liam was pretty sure he could hear Theo’s rip crack from the force of Lana’s hug. “Take care and do good in college, okay? You’re such a smart young man, Theo, I can’t wait to see what you will do with this world.” Liam saw the hesitant way Theo hugged Lana back and the shy smile he sent her when she finally let him go. He was used to Liam and his parents care about him but when it came to strangers he was still a bit distant, even after all these years. It was still nice to see he was opening up to their new pack. Lana now kissed Theo’s cheek and then pulled Liam into a bone-crushing hug. “You will do well too, yeah? I know you will. You’re also so smart and determined, you will do great. Thank you again, Liam, I can’t tell you enough how much it means to us what you did.” She muttered in his ear and Liam hugged her back. He had really came to like her very much in the last four days and he would really miss her. He would miss all of them.

And then it was Byron’s turn to say Goodbye. He pulled Theo into a fatherly hug. “Liam is very lucky to have you as his first Beta. You two make a pretty good team and together you will get far.” 

He told the chimera and Theo swallowed dryly before nodding. “I will protect him.” He vowed with a sincere nod. Liam had to smile. He knew he could trust Theo with everything and as long as he had Theo with him, he could take on being an Alpha.

Byron was satisfied with Theo’s answer and let him go in order to turn his focus on Liam. Lana stepped closer to her husband and handed him a leather-bound journal. Byron looked down at the book with a thoughtful smile and then stepped closer to Liam. “I want to give you this. It’s the history of our Alphas, forwarded from one Alpha to another. I’m sure it will help you and since you told me you like history, it will be even more interesting. Every Alpha added something to the book and now it’s your turn.” He handed the book over and Liam stared at it and the beamed at Byron before hugging him.

“Thank you so much, Byron. That’s awesome! I love it already and can’t wait to read it.” He called out. “Thank you for everything.” He added after a short pause and Byron hugged him back.

“I have to thank you, Liam. You will be a great Alpha, I’m sure of that. And like Shana said, you can always call me if you need help and advice.”  
“I know, Byron. We will keep in touch anyway, right?”  
“Of course we will.” Byron confirmed and hugged Liam once more before finally letting him go.   
Liam blinked, he hated farewells all the time and he had embosomed the whole pack so it was even harder than usual. And now that the rest of the pack said Goodbye too, he realized they felt the same way about Theo and him. 

Liam could not wait to return to their new pack but for now, he and Theo stowed their bags in Theo’s car, received a basket full of cookies and pie from Valentina and then they got in the car and Theo slowly drove away while the whole pack waved.

The young Alpha watched them in the mirror until they disappeared from sight and the leaned back in his seat with a deep sigh. “I hate farewells!”  
“Hm, yeah, saying Goodbye to them was hard.” Theo agreed and gripped the steering wheel tighter. Liam looked over at him and smiled sadly. “We will come back soon.”  
Theo looked at Liam and smiled. “We will. For now, we have to return to our everyday life.”

Liam hummed and the two friend stayed silent for a while. “Think it will be different now?” Liam asked, looking out of the window.  
“Our life now? I don’t know. Since moving to Seattle we came across some supernatural things but not as much as in Beacon Hills. Maybe other wolves will react differently to you now, who knows? I guess we just have to wait and see.” Theo replied. 

“Oh god, I still need to tell the pack!” Liam suddenly remembered and groaned, hands coming up to scrub over his face. “How am I supposed to do that?”  
“With words would be a good way I think.” Theo supplied and Liam rolled his eyes, giving him a judgemental look.  
“You’re not helpful! What am I supposed to say? It’s not like I could write a text saying: Yo, Scott, you won’t believe what happened! I’m an Alpha now, just like you. Alpha Buddies!”   
Theo seemed to play this scene through in his head and barked out a laugh. “Not gonna lie, puppy, I would pay good money to see Scott’s face.”

"Of course you would.” Liam muttered and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He started typing a text, then hesitated and re-read what he typed. He shook his head, erased the words and typed a new. Only to hesitate once more and then read over what he typed, erased it and started anew. He repeated this circle several times but then he shook his head, frustrated with himself and because he had no idea how to phrase what happened.

Theo took pity on him. “Maybe you should just call.” He suggested  
Liam shook his head. “He’s still in Mexico, I can’t call him right now.”  
“Send him a text that you need him to call as soon as possible.”   
“If I do that. Scott would worry like crazy and probably think one of us is dying. He would probably stop looking for wolves in trouble and come right to Seattle. Can’t do that when I know others need his help.”  
The chimera sighed. Liam had such a good heart, sometimes it was frustrating. “Liam, you are...were his Beta. And you need to tell him that!”  
“I will. Just not....right now. Let us get home, let me get used to being an Alpha and then I will make a plan on how to break the news to Scott. He will call when he’s back and then I could maybe invite him to Seattle. You said it yourself, I’m his Beta and will always be his Beta, and that’s why I want to look into his eyes and tell him what happened. Face to face. You understand me?” 

Theo grumbled but in the end, he nodded. That was just so Liam, and Theo knew it was one of the reasons he would be a good Alpha. Because he cared about things like that, maybe more than he should. “If that’s what you want, okay. What about the rest of the pack? Stiles? Lydia? Mason?”  
“The same rules apply to the older pack members. Mason and Corey, I will think of something to tell them. Nolan’s in Belgium thanks to his internship, so he’s currently out of the picture and Alec is focused on college, helping Scott and missing Nolan, so he’s out of the picture as well for now.”  
“Good. I can work with that. Now change of topic: What kind of cookies and pie are in the basket? I smell it all the time and it smells delicious.”

Liam grinned and reached for the basket, putting it on his lap and looking through the different containers filled with all kinds of baked goods. “This one’s lemon pie, here are chocolate cookies and this one’s cherry pie. Oh and here, we have....disposable tableware with a little note saying: In case you get hungry during the drive. Aw, these people are so sweet.” Liam was amazed by their kindness and now he dug out a fork and dipped it in the cherry pie. After tasting it, he moaned. “Tastes like heaven. Here, try it!” He dug his fork into the pie once more and held out the fork for Theo to take the bite. The chimera eyed the fork and then Liam before leaning over and letting Liam feed the pie to him before returning his attention fully on the road again. 

“That’s really good.” He mumbled through his mouth full of pie and Liam grinned. “Told you so.” He said and dug his fork into the pie again, taking another bite before holding the fork out for Theo again. Theo smirked but said nothing and let Liam feed him once more. That way the friends shared almost the whole pieces of cherry pie. A great and incredibly delicious way to spend the drive. 

******  
Liam had loved their weekend trip but he also liked their apartment and when they were home, he smiled happily. Unpacking went smoothly and soon enough Liam lounged on the couch in their living room while Theo went to retrieve the mail that had gathered over the days. 

The young Alpha had grabbed the journal Byron had given him and it didn’t take long until Liam was completely engrossed in the history of the Morning Dew pack and what every Alpha had to say and add to the history.  
“There were just as many female Alphas as male ones. So cool, equality and rules.” He said enthusiastically and flipped a page when Theo came back and flopped down on the couch next to Liam. He was sorting through the mail and Liam shortly looked up. “Anything interesting?”  
Theo shook his head. “No, just the usual flyers from the China Express and the Pizza Hut around the corner. Need a new laundry? One opened on Cross Street.” He put the mail aside and looked at Liam. “The minute I saw Byron handing this over to you, I knew you would love that. With your love for history.” He said with a soft smile. Liam returned the smile and then looked back at the journal. Theo knew him so well.

“Every Alpha added their own personal pack symbols to the pack symbol. As a sign of their lead. Look at that.” He turned the book so Theo could see the various pages littered with different symbols. The chimera leaned closer and inspected the signs. 

“Any idea what your sign will be?” He then inquired and Liam blew out his cheeks.   
“Huh, good question.” He thought about it but couldn’t come up with anything on the spot. “Guess I still have time to think about that. Right?”  
Theo gave him an affirmative nod and Liam smiled before nudging the older with his foot. “By the way, it would be our sign, not just mine. I would have never accepted becoming the next Alpha if you had not told me all those things. It was your support that made this possible.”  
“And your dream meeting with your inner wolf.” Theo said matter-of-factly.   
“Yeah, that too but you played just a big part in this. T. You’re my first Beta, I need you in this. So this would be our sign, okay?” Liam said forcibly. Theo seemingly decided to not argue with this. “Okay, fine, our sign.” He compromised with a smile. 

******  
"Law. He definitively teaches Law.” Liam determined and sipped his coffee. He and Theo were sitting on a bench, right in front of the dorm building Mason and Corey lived in. It was Saturday morning and two weeks since their weekend trip. Liam had expected a larger impact on his daily life but in reality, he felt like always, did the same things as always, acted the same way. Okay, he felt stronger, when he was out for a run he was faster, but aside from these things, he felt like the same Liam he had been before the cabin. And yet he knew everything had changed for him, he just had no opportunity to fully experience this yet. True to his promise him and Byron had weekly calls where Byron filled him in on everything that happened around the pack. Nothing much had happened, the pack was safe and happy, they missed Theo and Liam and half of the calls had been Lana asking all kinds of how they did in college, if their professors were teaching them well, if they had enough time to relax and not overworked themselves. It had made Liam smile and later on Theo too when Liam put the call on speakers. Liam’s parents called them too and they were just as worried and caring about the two young men, but Lana and Byron and the others were strangers and yet they cared about them so much. It was heart melting.

Liam loved his new pack but he was still figuring out how to tell his old pack about him becoming an Alpha. Most important persons he really needed to tell face to face were Mason as his best friend and Scott as his Alpha. But Scott was still so busy with everything and Liam felt like he was disturbing him, so he had refrained from texting Scott about the newest events in his life. Mason and Corey were next on his list. The others, yes Liam cared about their opinion, cared about what they would say but if the other two knew, they would be easy, at least that’s how Liam imagined it. If Lydia or Malia would disapprove it would be a bummer but they would get over it after a while. But Mason was his best friend and Corey had become a close friend to Liam as well, so they were important to Liam as well.

That’s why they had driven to the college Corey and Mason attended. Liam had the idea this Saturday morning and Theo had agreed to accompany him and without further discussion, they had finished breakfast and then were on their way towards the other college. When they arrived at the dorm building and knocked at Mason’s and Corey’s door, nobody answered and another guy from the dorm next door told them they went out for a run. So Liam and Theo had gotten a coffee and then sat on the bench, waiting for the other two guys to show up. They were entertaining themselves by guessing which subject each person in teacher’s age taught. They never knew if they were right, but it was fun.

“He looks like he teaches Law.” Theo agreed and Liam grinned before finishing his coffee and throwing the travel mug in the garbage can close to the bench. And then he spotted Mason walking towards the building, Corey next to him. Liam got up from where he had sat and Mason spotted him too, a big grin spreading across his face.

“LIAM!” He exclaimed.  
“MASON!” Liam called out and then both friends made their way towards each other and embraced.  
“What a surprise! Oh my god, I really didn’t expect to see you here.” Mason was happy and hugged Liam as tight as possible while Liam made sure not to squeeze Mason too hard. Werewolf strength and such, you know? He faintly registered Theo stepping closer and hugging Corey.  
“What are you doing here? This is such a great surprise but is there a special reason?” The second chimera asked and Theo laughed, Liam joining him when he pulled apart from Mason and the friend switched so Theo could greet Mason and Liam could greet Corey. 

“Can’t we just visit?” Liam teased and Mason playfully glared at him.   
“Of course you can, but I know you, Lee. You usually call when you plan on visiting us.” 

Liam and Theo shared a look and grinned at each other. “Want to go inside? I’d say we can talk better there.” The first Beta suggested and Liam smiled at him gratefully.   
“Theo’s right, we should go inside. If you don’t mind that’s it.”

“Of course, we don’t mind. Come on.” Corey said and lead them all inside the building and then inside the dorm room he and Mason shared. Well, dorm was maybe an understatement. The dorm itself was quite spacious, with an extra bedroom and a small kitchen. It had its benefits when your parents had money, Liam could admit that without envy. He didn’t begrudge Mason and Corey this.

The friends now gathered around the kitchen counter and  Corey offered them juice or water which Theo and Liam accepted. The whole time Mason was eyeing Liam and Theo, fingers tapping against the counter impatiently. Liam gave him a shit-eating grin, knowing full well his best friend knew something was going on and it drove him crazy that Liam was stalling. Only when he had his glass of orange juice and took a sip from it, he decided to not let Mason wait any longer.

“Okay, I admit, we aren’t just here because we were missing you.” He confessed and almost choked on his juice when Mason muttered “I knew it! Can’t lie to me, Lee.”   
Theo next to him grinned and looked at Liam, waiting for his Alpha to finally fill their friends in. Liam grinned at him and nudged his shoulder against his Beta’s. “Something indeed happened.”

“You and Theo got married in Las Vegas!” Mason blurted out and this time Liam really chocked on his juice. He coughed and blinked at Mason, just like everyone else in the room.  
“Mason!” Corey said with a laugh, making Mason shrug.  
“What? You never know with these two. Could be everything! They could have gotten married, decided to drop out of college, leave the country  
Liam cleared his throat. “You have way too much fantasy! Theo and I aren’t even dating, why should we get married?”  
“You don’t expect a real answer to this, do you?” Mason asked with a pointed look and Liam ignored his friend. Mason groaned in frustration. His best friend knew how to keep him on his toes.  
“Okay, then what? I literally covered every possible category. What is it? What category do I have to expect?” He demanded to know, making Corey pat his arm.   
“Mason, breathe!” His boyfriend said with a small laugh. 

Liam chuckled at his best friend’s antics and Theo did nothing to hide his amusement. He had his elbow propped on the counter and his chin on his palm and was looking between Liam and Mason, hazel eyes sparkling and showing how much he enjoyed this. Liam ignored him too because if he looked at Theo, he would swoon.   
“I’m not sure.” He began and cast down his eyes to make it even more gripping than it already was. Mason already looked like he was about to pull him over the counter if he stalled any longer. “In what category falls your best friend becoming an Alpha?” Liam then asked and looked up again, eyes glowing red. 

Mason screeched. “NO WAY!!! This is fake, right? You’re pulling a fast one on me!!! Is this fake? LIAM!!!” 

Theo laughed loudly. This was just too good. Liam laughed too, eyes returning to their normal blue color again, and shook his head. “I’m not screwing with you. I indeed became an Alpha.” He confirmed and Mason squealed in excitement.   
“I want every detail!” He said at the same time as Corey said: “Oh my god, Liam, how?”

“Want to sit? Because this might take a little while and I’m quite scared you faint from getting over-excited.” Liam said with a chuckle and Mason all but grabbed his arm and pulled him to their couch. Corey and Theo followed slowly, Theo sitting on the armrest next to Liam. Corey sat on the floor in front of the couch, watching Liam with just as much curiosity as Mason. And Liam took a deep breath and then he told them the whole story.

When he finally ended Mason and Corey were speechless. “That’s...holy shit, that’s amazing!” Mason breathed out and Corey nodded enthusiastically.  
“What did Scott say?” He asked and Liam’s smile fell. It had felt good to tell his friends, share his story with them and see how positive they were taking the news. He sighed and shrugged and Theo reached out to stroke over his neck in a supportive manner.  
“Liam hasn’t told him yet.” He explained and Liam sighed.  
“I want to tell him face to face, you know? Just like I told you. It’s important to me. I don’t want him to jump to conclusions, you know?” He explained and shrugged.   
“Do you really think he would? He knows you.” Corey, always the soft and understanding one, said.   
“He knows me, yeah, but he also knows my anger issues. What if he thinks I got so angry I killed an Alpha? I don’t know if I could handle that. Not while we’re miles apart and we’re just calling each other. If I’m in the same room as him, I can explain better.”

Theo gave his neck a soft squeeze and Liam tilted his head to smile at his anchor. The older knew how to calm him. Theo smiled back. “Everything will work out fine.” He told Liam.   
“Hm, hopefully. But, just in case, that’s why you’re my first Beta.” Liam looked back at Corey and Mason. “You can be part of my pack too if you want.” He added hastily, not wanting to make them feel left out.  
“Are you kidding?” Mason asked. “I’m calling dibs on being your first human, okay? Your researcher for anything! I didn’t let Deaton teach me so much for nothing! Of course, I am part of your pack! You’re my best friend, Liam. We’ve been through everything together.”   
“Me too. I mean, your pack sounds like it’s in dire need of a werechameleon.” Corey replied with a smile which Liam returned.   
“Thanks, guys.” 

******  
Liam smelt the booze before he even saw the house. Mason and Corey had convinced him and Theo to accompany them to a frat party this Saturday and they had been invited too. It was rare the friends could celebrate together and Mason had also said it was time celebrate Liam becoming an Alpha, so here they were and making their way towards the house. Liam scrunched his nose and Theo nudged him softly when he noticed. “Everything okay?”  
“All those scents together, the alcohol and the sweat, and also the loud music, are a bit more intense now, you know? Give me a moment to get used to it.” Everyday noises were no problem but when everything was concentrated and louder than usual, Liam noticed something had changed. He took a deep breath and then followed his friends inside.

He had to blink at the impressions flooding his brain and he blinked a few more times. That was sensory overload and he had to will himself not to turn around right away. That would surely take some time to get used to it. Theo’s warm hand around his wrist was comforting and he focused on his anchor’s scent and warmth.   
“If you want, we can leave again.” Theo told him quietly but Liam shook his head. “It’s okay, just have to get used to the sharper senses when everything is balled like this. It’s okay.”

He smiled at Theo and nodded. He would manage. 

And manage he did. After the initial difficulties when they arrived Liam soon could relax a bit, tune out unwanted and too loud noises, and just have a good time with his friends. He had a cup of beer but since he couldn’t get drunk anyway, he rarely sipped on it and chatted more with other people or his friends. He caught himself looking out for Corey, Mason, and Theo all the time, making sure his pack members were okay and having fun. Seeing Corey and Mason laughing on the impromptu dance floor and pressing against each other, stealing kisses all the while, and Theo was engrossed in a conversation with another boy over at the snack station. The guy was clearly interested in Theo, giving how he was leaning in and sending all kinds of signals, and Liam could not blame him for it. Theo was one of the hottest guys around and his navy blue shirt and black jeans hugged his body in all the right places. Liam might have enjoyed a few glances at Theo’s ass himself, but that about was it. They were just friends and sometimes they were flirting with each other but they kept it as a joke.

Liam had not intended to but he tuned in on the conversation the chimera and the guy were having. It got insanely easy, he just needed to focus on Theo and his breathing and his heartbeat. Focused on that, he could also listen to the conversation the chimera had.

_“Dude, no, seriously. You’re really not my type.”_ Theo said now and Liam saw him pulling his arm away when the guy tried to get a hold on him. Liam’s eyes narrowed and he watched the guy actually reaching for Theo’s arm once again. He also heard the warning growl coming from the twenty-one-year-old. Theo was still keeping his calm posture but this guy was stressing it. 

“Hold that.” Liam told a girl next to him and pressed his cup into her hand while making his way over. The whole scene screamed trouble and he had to interfere. Passing Mason and Corey alerted them too when they caught glimpse of the look on his face, and they trailed behind.

“Liam, what’s wrong?” Corey called out but Liam ignored him for now and made a beeline for Theo and the guy who still had not gotten the hint. He was still pestering Theo, even going so far to step closer to the chimera who growled once more, a clear warning. 

“What’s going on here?”  
Liam stepped right between them, Theo bumping against his back. He had clearly intended to push the guy away since he still wanted to move closer to Theo and now glared at Liam.  
“I don’t see how this is any of your business! Move, man, you’re blocking my way!” He snarled and Liam’s glance turned cold.  
“It is my business when you touch my Beta without his permission.” He stated calmly, even though anger was already boiling inside him. But he needed to keep in control. Especially now as an Alpha, control was important. But nobody touched Theo!   
“He repeatedly told you No and you’re still trying to grab his arm. Listen, buddy, I would suggest you leave before this becomes messy. Because I don’t care who you are but since your wolf scent is rolling off in waves, you should get your werewolf ass out here as fast as possible!”

Liam had never noticed other people smelling like wolves but now he did and he growled at the other wolf. Who was clearly way too dumb to realize he was messing with the wrong guy because he made another attempt to brush past Liam and get to Theo. Liam’s hand shot up and wrapped around the guy’s wrist and even through the loud music, Liam heard the crack of bones.

He stepped closer to the guy and his eyes glowed red. “Nobody touches my Beta! He’s **mine** and you can either leave on your own two feet and with the little dignity you have left or I can kick your ass so hard everyone will talk about this even weeks after this party!” He hissed into the guy's face and his wolf howled inside him when the asshole paled and broke out in cold sweat. 

Liam let go of his wrist, eyes slowly returning back to blue, and the guy stumbled back. He blinked at Liam who crossed his arms over his chest and then the guy fled the scene as fast as he could. A smirk crossed Liam’s face and he looked over his shoulder. 

“You okay?” He asked Theo and his friend nodded.  
“Yeah, he didn’t do anything, except not taking No for an answer.”  
Liam nodded curtly. “Want to leave?” He then inquired and Theo nodded. None of them was in the mood to party anymore.   
“Okay, we’re leaving.” Liam ordered and when he started walking towards the exit, followed by Theo, Mason, and Corey. 

“Where’s the next Diner?” He asked Mason and his best friend pointed the direction. They walked towards it and Mason picked up his pace to walk next to Liam.  
“You were more in control than I’ve ever seen you before, even though your eyes glowed.” Mason marveled. “Is this your new way of working with your wolf? Because that was impressive!”  
“No one touches my Betas without their consent. I had to interfere.” Liam explained with a shrug and looked over to Theo. “Better than T slashing his throat.” He tried a joke.   
“I wouldn’t have slashed it. I would have ripped his head off. Simple but oh so very effective.” Theo corrected with a shrug and grinned. The rest of their group laughed and the rest of the walk they joked around.

“What do you want to eat, I’m paying.” Liam asked his friends and Theo snickered. “Look at the Alpha, providing for his pack.” He mocked but then ordered a tuna sub for himself. Mason and Corey placed their orders too and Liam told the waitress everything before they made their way over to a booth. 

Soon enough their food was there since the Diner was empty aside from them, and they dug in. Theo stole some (read: half of) of Liam’s onion rings and fries and when he received a playful scowl for that, he rolled his eyes and handed over one half of his sub. Mason and Corey watched them from the other side of the table. 

“Are you always sharing food nowadays?” Corey asked with a giggle.   
“Maybe it’s a thing between Alpha and first Beta?” Mason supposed but his shit-eating grin betrayed him. Liam threw a fry at his best friend. 

******  
“Liam?”

Liam rolled on his back so that he could get a better look at Theo. They were both sleeping on inflatable mattresses on the floor in Corey’s and Mason’s apartment, right next to the couch. “Hm?” He asked and turned his head to look at Theo who stared thoughtfully at the dark ceiling.

“Thank you for tonight. This would have gotten messy.”  
“Don’t mention it. The guy crossed several lines and he deserved it. A part of me admittedly would have liked to kick his ass but it’s good he bailed out.” He smiled at Theo and now the chimera rolled on his side to face him. 

“How were you even able to notice it by the way? You were on the other side of the room.”  
Liam rolled on his side too and put his hand under his hand. “I watched you. All three of you. Made sure you were okay and had fun. And then I saw you and the guy talking and I tuned in...That sounded creepy but I didn’t fully intend to do so. It just happened. I followed your heartbeat and your breathing. I always focus on you. You’re my anchor, we have this connection. That’s how I could hear what you were saying.” He explained.  
Theo smiled at that. “We have a connection indeed. And you’re my anchor too, you know that, right?”  
Liam chuckled. “Course I do, T.”

They smiled at each other and Liam could not resist but lean in and press a soft kiss against Theo’s cheek. “You’re so important to me.” He muttered, cheek rubbing against Theo’s before Liam pulled back and laid down again.

They were silenced for a while, both lost in thoughts; Liam was thinking about how deep their connection ran and how much stronger it had become since the beginning.

 The beginning...

“I know what our pack symbol will be.” He suddenly uttered and rolled on his stomach to reach into his bag and pulled out pen and paper. He drew two diagonal lines running upwards together so that they were almost touching at the tip, almost as if they were two sides of a triangle. In the small space between the lines, he drew a thunderbolt. Theo had leaned closer and put his chin on Liam’s shoulder while he watched Liam. 

“I’m not an artist, you can draw way better than me but that’s what came to my mind. When I freed you from the ground, the ground cracked and it looked like lightning.” He tapped the pen against the thunderbolt. “And then the ground broke open.” He tapped on the two lines. “That’s where it all started. We had a connection since back then and without you, I wouldn’t have survived all these things or if I did, I would have killed someone years ago. So I think this should be our symbol.” He summed it up. 

Theo watched the drawing for a while, his chin still on Liam’s shoulder. “You really think I had such an impact on you?” He asked after a while and Liam nodded. “Absolutely, T. Without you, I wouldn’t be here.”  
He leaned his head against Theo’s. “I would have been killed by Gabe in the hospital but you showed up and dragged me into the elevator. Just one of the many occasions you risked your ass to save mine.”   
“It’s a nice ass.” Theo muttered and Liam was glad it was dark in the room because he was blushing again. (Shut up with werewolves could see in the dark and let him live a lie!)  
Theo pressed a kiss against Liam’s cheek. “I like the symbol.” He finally muttered and Liam smiled. “Good. We’re keeping it. It’s basic so we can draw it anytime if someone needs it.”  
“Yeah, well, and it’s better than two circles and a dot.” Theo mocked and Liam groaned.  
“Theo!”  
“What? I’m just being honest!” Theo replied and grinned. Liam rolled his eyes but chuckled nonetheless. 

******  
"I smell coffee and bacon.” Corey muttered when he emerged from the bedroom. Theo sat on the kitchen counter and watched Liam fry indeed bacon in a pan.”And eggs.” Liam and Theo chorused and Liam swatted Theo’s hand away when he tried to steal a piece of bacon with a fork.   
“Wait until Mason’s here!” He hissed and Theo rolled his eyes. Liam growled playfully and flashed his eyes.  
“Did you just...Did you flash your eyes at me?” Theo asked incredulously but then he grinned. “Two can play this game, Dunbar!” And he flashed his eyes too and growled back, just as playful as Liam. 

“What’s going on here?” 

 Mason had chosen this moment to walk out of the bedroom. Corey took it upon himself to fill his boyfriend in. “Liam’s making breakfast and then he growled at Theo who growled back. I don’t know why, it’s probably a werewolf/coyote thing.” 

“More like a pack thing. Byron explained that most packs have this, they play-fight and play-wrestle, just to get a laugh out of it and to steady their bond. Better to have a play-fight then attack each other, he said.” Liam chimed in and turned around with the pan in his hand. “Breakfast’s ready.” 

“I say it again. You’re such a good provider, Alpha.” Theo teased him and Liam grinned.  “Shut up and have a seat. I’m hungry.”

******  
Liam was on the couch in their living room when his phone chimed with an incoming video call. It was three days after their visit and they were back in Seattle, living their life. He was currently doing some reading his classes but now put his book aside and accepted the call.

“Scott, hey!” He greeted the pixelated face of his Alpha. Wherever Scott currently was, the connection wasn’t the best. 

But he could see Scott smile and wave. “Liam, hey, how’s life?”

“Good, really good.” He heard the door getting unlocked and Theo entered. “Theo just came home. Hey, Theo, Scott called!”

Theo shuffled into the living room and to the couch where Liam sat. He leaned on the headrest so he could also see the screen and nodded in greeting. “What’s up?”

“I found some more wolves who were captured by Monroe’s people. They are pretty hurt but we will manage. Did anything hunter related happen in Seattle?”  
Liam shook his head. “No hunters here.” He hesitated but then decided to go for it. The waiting made him crazy. “Scott, I still need to tell you something.”  
“I’m not sure if I can convince the wolves to leave, they grew up around here, I understand they want to stay. We have to see if the hunters come back or if they got the message. If any hunters show up and track you down, you call immediately, okay?”  
“Okay. But Scott, there is something I really need to tell you.”

“Malia says Hi too. She’s currently in Beacon Hills to figure some things out with Deaton but she and Derek would join me sooner or later. In case anything happens, they can also come and help you. Just wanted to make sure, you were fine.”  
“We are fine, but Scott....”  
“Uh, looks like I need to go, the new wolves need some help. I’ll call you soon. Bye.”  
“Scott!”

And the call was ended. Liam stared at the phone in his hand and the blank screen. “What just happened?” He asked flabbergasted. 

Theo pushed himself off the couch. “Want an honest answer or a nice one?”  
Liam pondered on that. “I know I will get the honest one anyway, so start with nice this time.”  
“Scott’s very busy at the moment and has a lot on his mind. He knew we were okay and he was happy about it.”

“And now the honest one?”  
“Your Alpha paid no intention at all to what you had to say. Selective hearing, you know? He heard you were fine, everything was okay, and that’s it. No need to pay more attention.” 

“That’s not really fair! He has a lot on his mind!”  
Theo sighed. “I know and I know he is a good Alpha. Look, this is not me bashing Scott, I just don’t see him as the perfect older brother like you do. Maybe because we were in the same grade, I knew him before all this supernatural mess. He was always good and he tries very hard, I know. We can be happy that we have him. But, I also remember how easy it was to drive a wedge between him and Stiles. Scott’s is righteous, sometimes too righteous, and he also makes mistakes. He’s not always the best listener which he just proofed a minute ago. He has his flaws too, Liam, you know this just as much as I do. And this call wasn’t the best talk you ever had with him.”

Liam sighed and let his head fall back against the couch. “That’s why I want to tell him face to face, you know? But the waiting drives me nuts.”  
“I’m sure you will get a chance sooner or later.” Theo tried to bolster him.  
“Think so?” Liam questioned and Theo nodded. “I know so.” He patted Liam’s shoulder. “Now come on, I brought takeout from the Chinese place down the street.”

Liam sighed one last time and put his phone down. He tried to not get the call to him too much but it was hard. Theo poked his nose. “Another point regarding Scott McCall: No matter what happens, I’ll always have the better Alpha.” He winked at Liam and then wandered off into their kitchen. 

Liam frowned softly then he smiled. Theo knew how to cheer him up. “You don’t know if I’m the better Alpha.” He muttered and Theo gave him a look over his shoulder.

“I believe in you. That’s all I need to know in order to make my mind up about this.”

* * *

Authors's note:

In case you were wondering how the symbol looked that Liam drew _(Please note: I can't draw and tried to make this at least somewhat decent until I decided to just do it in photoshop. If anybody wants to draw this in a  better way, feel free please)_  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter is done and I know not much happened but Mason and Corey knew now and I think that’s amazing. Liam’s quite protective of his pack and especially his first Beta. Maybe he’s a bit possessive of a certain chimera, who knows? Do you like the relationship Theo and Liam have? I am already excited for the next chapter because I have something planned and I really hope you guys like it. Tell me what you think about this chapter and maybe tell me what you think will happen in the next one. I’m curious to read your predictions. 
> 
> I got also asked about Theo calling Liam “Lee” sometimes. This is a headcanon I still haven’t found the time to write down yet but if I do I will link it here. Anyway, the short version is, this is a nickname only persons very close to Liam are allowed to use. In fact, only Mason, one of Liam’s younger cousins and Theo are allowed to use it.


	6. Rome wasn't build in one day either

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam faces his first full moon as an Alpha, needs to protect his Beta once more and meets somebody new.

Liam checked his phone and sighed, arms crossing on top of the kitchen counter and burying his face in his arms, content with just hiding from the world. Theo entered the kitchen a few minutes later and chuckled at the sight of Liam.  
“What’s wrong, puppy?” He inquired and stroke over Liam’s exposed neck. Liam groaned.  
“The full moon is coming up.” He muttered, still hiding his face.  
“So?” Theo asked and stepped to the coffee maker to fix himself a mug.

Liam raised his head and looked at him. “I don’t know how to handle it without losing control.” He said, resting his chin on his arms while doing so.  
“Liam, you didn’t lose control on a full moon for years.” Theo replied and Liam groaned once more.  
“I wasn’t an Alpha before. I have more power now, that means I need to be in control even more. I don’t know if I can handle this.” He explained his dilemma and Theo watched him without saying anything and just sipped his coffee. 

“So what’s the plan?” He asked after a while and Liam shrugged. “Find a good place to hide, with strong enough walls to chain me up.”  
“I’m not chaining you up!” Theo protested and Liam glared at him.  
“Don’t even start to argue with me about this! This is not up for discussion, Theodore!”  
Theo rolled his eyes at his full name. He hated it and Liam knew this full well, hence why he used it. He now decided not to say anything else regarding this matter and neither did Liam. He had made clear what he expected from Theo. 

Which didn’t mean Liam wasn’t tense. The days leading to the full moon he spent in a constant state of tension, basically waiting for his control to slip. And then the day of the full moon was here and Liam tensed even more.

He had woken up way before his alarm clock and immediately felt the pull of the moon, even in the early morning. It had made him anxious and he changed into running gear and went for a long run. When he had burned off some of the restlessness in his bones, he stayed in the park and tried to breathe in the scent from the nature around him, attempting to calm his wolf. It worked a little bit and when he returned home, he had a cold shower which also helped with keeping his anxiety in check.

He couldn’t deny it was still there, a dull ache in his body all day, making it impossible for him to feel really calm and collected. During his classes, he constantly tapped his fingers on his desk and could not follow his teacher’s lectures at all. Theo said nothing about the state Liam was in nor did he start another argument about if he would chain Liam up or not, but Liam found himself on the receiving end of even more touches from his Beta; a soft squeeze to his arm or Theo’s hand on his back. His anchor was looking out for him and Liam could not express how grateful he was for that.   
Theo even checked on him between his classes in person and he sent texts to know if Liam needed anything during classes. Liam remembered very clearly how afraid Theo had been to show he really cared in the beginning but now he was freely admitting to caring deeply about Liam. They had their differences and saw things different sometimes but Liam knew Theo took him seriously. 

But then evening came and Liam knew the full moon was almost there. It got stronger and stronger and the evening turned into night. He felt it in his bones and his anxiety doubled. He firstly paced in the living room while Theo did whatever he did in his room, and then Liam wandered into his own room, opening his closet and pulling out the box with the chains. He could not wait any longer, the moon was almost up, he needed to take action now before it was too late and he got overwhelmed by his wolf.

“The hell are you doing?” Theo’s voice sounded up behind him and Liam rolled his eyes.   
“I’m taking precautions. Better safe than sorry.” He muttered and finally managed to get all chains out of the box.  The heater looked sturdy enough to keep him from breaking it and he could use his bed too. That would work, right?

“We will take every chain I have, that should work. I hope so at least. Come here and help me.” He said while wrapping the chains around the bedpost and then his left wrist.  When Theo made no attempt to move closer and help him, Liam glared at the chimera. “Hey, I’m talking to you!” He snapped. It was getting closer and closer to the full moon and his patience was running low.  
“I told you I’m not gonna chain you up!”  
“ **Theo**! For fuck’s sake! I need your help. I can’t chain both of my hands alone, I need an extra pair of hands for that! So get your ass over here and do what I’m telling you to do!”  
But Theo stayed where he was, in the doorframe to Liam’s room. The look in his hazel’s eyes waved between frustration, worry, and a bit hopelessness. He looked lost and Liam’s wolf howled to see somebody as important to him as Theo looking like this. But at the same time, his wolf was pissed Theo was ignoring orders. 

“Theodore, I’m asking you for one fucking thing and you can’t do that? I need your help because I can’t do it on my own! You’re my anchor, I need you!” He snarled and then growled when yet another rush shot through him. Fuck, he had expected it to be hard but this turned out even worse than he imagined.

He turned back to his chains, setting everything up as good as he could without any help. He tried to convince himself it would hold himself back, even though one hand was free. The rational part of his brain told him it was ridiculous. He knew he was strong, no way this could work in the slightest, but he grasped every straw he could get. He could not lose control, he could not shift. He would hurt people, would hurt Theo, probably kill or jump strangers and bite them, cursing them. He could not do this to anyone so he needed to get held back. His own control was too weak for this. 

A soft hand wrapped around his wrist which was not chained, keeping Liam from fiddling with the chains any longer. “Liam, stop.” Theo said softly. “Look at me.”  
The young Alpha hesitated, ashamed about breaking down like this, but then he glanced at Theo, blue eyes filled with panic and worry. Theo smiled sadly.  
“A lot of what you’re feeling right now is caused by you stressing out. Liam, please take a deep breath.” He coached the younger wolf and Liam felt himself following Theo’s words, inhaling deeply.   
“I need your help, Theo. Please. If you don’t want to chain me up, at least promise me you will knock me out when I wolf out.”  
But Theo shook his head. “No, because you won’t wolf out, Liam. You won’t lose control.”  
Liam swallowed. “I don’t know that.” He whispered.

“Liam, hey.” Theo pulled him closer, their foreheads touching. It was their thing and it helped both of them. “Byron showed you a way to see your inner wolf as a partner, not as the enemy. Don’t start seeing him as the enemy again. Your wolf is not your foe and you managed to work **with** him before. Don’t fall back into your old schemes. You worked so well on your control all those years and you have gotten so good at staying in control. Being an Alpha doesn’t change that. I know you can do it.” 

Liam took a deep breath, inhaling Theo’s scent. They were close and he was afraid this time it won’t work to calm him.  
“I don’t want to hurt you.” He muttered and Theo chuckled softly.   
“You would never seriously harm me. Alpha or not, we’re past that stage in our relationship.”

He stroke through Liam’s hair and over his cheek. “Close your eyes, Lee, and just breathe. Listen to my heartbeat and listen to my voice. You just need to calm your nerves.”  
Liam did as he was told, clenching his eyes shut and leaning against Theo. He let his anchor’s scent and heartbeat surround him, embracing the safety he associated with Theo. His hand had grabbed the front of Theo’s shirt and he felt the warmth radiating from the chimera’s body. 

“Everything’s fine, Lee, just keep breathing.”  
Liam heard the rustling of the chains and he thought Theo had just pushed them aside but then he felt Theo lacing their fingers together and raising their hands and Liam noticed Theo had freed him from the chains.  
“Theo...”  
“Shh, just focus on me and nothing else.” Theo calmed him again and Liam huffed but kept his eyes shut and continued just inhaling Theo’s scent and feeling the warmth of his touch. The anxiety in his bones settled and he felt like he could breathe better again. 

They sat there in absolute silence, Theo holding and grounding Liam by just being close and Liam relaxed. He still felt the moon but it wasn’t as overwhelming and scaring as it was before. Maybe Theo had been right, his nerves had played a fast one on Liam and made the issue bigger than it was. After a while, he felt Theo’s hand on his jaw.  
“Open your eyes, Liam.”  
When he did, he saw the moonlighter streaming through the window and bathing the whole room in silver light. Theo looked at him and his eyes glowed gold, Liam knew it was in response to his own eyes glowing red.  
“See? Your eyes glow and yet you are in control. You won’t lash out and you won’t hurt anybody.” Theo said with a soft chuckle. Liam smiled and reached out to gently ran his fingers through Theo’s hair. 

“What made you so sure I would stay in control?” He asked and Theo shrugged.  
“You didn’t believe in yourself, so I had to do it for you. I know what you can do, Liam. Remember what my first impression of you was: You’re tougher than you look and over all these years you proved that you’re even stronger than expected.” He smirked. “Besides, you have a pretty good anchor, you know?”

Liam laughed. “Not conceited at all.”  
“It made you laugh, that’s important.But seriously, don’t put yourself down so much, Lee. You’re pretty awesome. And I don’t like my Alpha doubting himself.”  
“That was probably the sweetest thing you ever said.” Liam teased but then grinned and wrapped his arms around Theo to pull him into a tight hug and hide his face in the crook of Theo’s neck, breathing in the chimera’s rich scent. That’s what being home and safe smelt like. Theo was his home, his constant in this ever-changing world.

He felt Theo hug him back and only after a while they pulled apart again, just looking at each other. Liam was sure his breath hitched in his throat when he thought he saw Theo’s eyes wandering to his lips, his own eyes wandering to Theo’s as well. They looked at each other again, but before anything else could happen, the alarm of a car outside blared up and both young men jumped apart (when had they leaned closer anyway?).  
“Dread Doctors, Anuk-ite, hunters, and yet a car gives me a heart attack.” Liam muttered and put a hand over his heart. Theo just nodded silently. Whatever had been between them before was gone now thanks to the unwelcome noise, and Liam nodded over to his video game collection. “Want to play? I’m in control but there is no way I can sleep now.”  
“Course.”

******  
Liam woke up from his sleep because something was not right. He raised his head and blearily saw the numbers of his alarm clock telling him it was shortly after half past two in the morning. He frowned and rubbed his eyes, sitting up and trying to figure out what had woken him up. He was alerted for unknown reasons and he listened closely to the sounds in their apartment. Something was off and his wolf was clawing at his insides because he knew his pack was in trouble. Were there any threats or intruders?   
And that’s when he heard the faint whimper accompanied with the feeling of distress, panic, and pain. It was wobbling through the hallway and crept in every creak and every corner, sipping into every fiber of his being. An ice-cold hand grabbed his heart and squeezed it painfully and he immediately knew what was wrong. 

“Theo.”

Liam was faster out of bed and had left his bed than he really registered. And when he opened the door to his friend’s room, the scent of everything he had sensed before increased. It was making the air sticky and suffocating. Theo was in bed, tossing and whimpering but still asleep and clearly trapped in a nightmare.   
“No...stop...please.” He whimpered, fingers gripping the sheets tightly and his body twisted and tossed while he let out pained noises once more. It broke Liam’s heart to see him like this. He knew Theo’s nightmares were bad and every night he could sleep without them was a success but when they happened, it was bad.

He approached and sat next to Theo. “Theo, wake up.” He said and carefully put a hand on Theo’s shoulder. “Wake up, you’re having a nightmare.” He shook his friend, not too harsh to startle the chimera, but enough to shake him out of his nightmare and after a few minutes, Theo shot up into a sitting position, chest rising and falling rapidly while he was gasping for air, fingers still gripping the sheets so tightly his knuckles turned white. Liam softly stroke over Theo’s hand with his own.  
“You’re safe, they are not here.” He muttered over and over again and Theo looked frantically around the room. It took time until his brain registered that he had yet another nightmare and the creatures he had seen were just part of that. 

A sob broke through and Liam wrapped both arms around him, pulling Theo into a tight hug The older wrapped his arms around Liam’s waist and hid his face in Liam’s chest. He needed to know Liam was here and he was safe.  
“Who was it this time?” Liam asked softly, rubbing Theo’s back in a soothing manner and just holding him; almost like Theo had done it a few nights prior when the full moon had grazed the sky. They found out talking helped Theo overcome his shock.   
“Tara. The doctors. They all were there.” Theo mumbled against Liam’s chest and Liam instantly held him tighter.  
“They can’t get you, Dore. You’re safe with me. I’m not letting them hurt you, okay?” He promised softly and ran his had through Theo’s sweaty and messy hair. “Nobody touches you while I’m around. You’re safe.”  
Theo raised his head and looked at Liam. “Promise me this? That you will always be here and protect me?” He inquired and Liam smiled warmly.  
“Always. You are my best friend, my anchor, my Beta. Nobody touches my Beta. Nobody touches my Theo.” And to show Theo he was really safe, he let his eyes glow. The Alpha would always protect his pack, it was an additional confirmation Theo was safe and Liam would do anything to protect him. 

“Just don’t die, please. I’m not worth it.”  
“You are worth far more than just dying but I promise nobody will die. Neither you nor me. We both will survive and get out happy ever after.”  
Liam moved them both into a lying position and pulled the blankets over them before wrapping both arms around Theo again. He still felt how Theo was shaking and he wanted to show that he would go nowhere unless Theo felt better again. The older seemed to appreciate that because he curled against Liam and rested his head on his Alpha’s shoulder. Liam stroke through his hair and focused on Theo’s chem signals. They were still laced with panic and fear, smelling kind of sour, but the scent disappeared more and more and after a while, Liam heard Theo’s breathing evening out and the chimera was asleep again. Liam closed his eyes too with a smile, arms still wrapped around Theo and ready to protect him against anybody wanting to harm him. Nobody touched one of the most important persons in his life. 

******  
Liam woke up again, half an hour before the alarm sounded up. He reached over and turned the alarm clock off. Theo was still asleep but he looked pale and tired and he really needed a day where he could sleep in and relax after his nightmare. Liam didn’t want to leave him alone today so he would skip too. One day couldn’t hurt. 

He smiled at the still sleeping chimera who was curled against him and had his right arm splayed over Liam’s stomach and his fingers interlaced with Liam’s. The gesture made his heart flutter and he gently stroke through Theo’s hair again before he had to yawn and he closed his eyes again. A bit more sleep would be good for him too.

But then he remembered his own alarm and groaned softly. Liam opened his eyes again and gently pried himself away from Theo to pat into his room and turn off his own alarm. When he came back into Theo’s room, the chimera had rolled on his other side and Liam slipped under the covers again, arm loosely draping over Theo’s waist while closing his eyes again. Theo, still asleep but searching for Liam, laced their fingers together once more and Liam smiled before he drifted off again. 

******  
When he woke up a third time it was to the sensation of a soft pressure on his arm. He smelled the chemical scent of a felt pen and instead of pulling away he remained how he was: On his side and facing Theo. The young Alpha opened his eyes and watched Theo who had a felt pen in his hand and was drawing on Liam’s outstretched arm. They found out it was relaxing for the chimera. Theo liked drawing, liked being creative and it took his mind off his nightmares. Him using Liam as canvas had started when Theo simply wanted or prank Liam but Liam had liked what Theo had doodled on his skin (a small wolf and some trees at that time) and kept it, even going so far to prolong his shower a day longer than usual to keep the art on his body. Theo had preened when he realized Liam liked his art and until this day Liam was the only one to know about this talent of Theo.

Curious about what Theo was drawing this time, Liam raised his head and Theo stopped what he was doing to smile at him. Liam returned the smile. “What are you drawing this time?” He asked and tried to get a look but Theo pressed him down again.  
“Do you trust me?” He asked.  
“Of course I do.” Liam snorted. “You know that, T.”  
“Then let me finish and only take a look at the finished drawing. I’m almost done.”

“Okay, okay.” Liam rested his head back on the pillow again and kept on watching Theo. “How are you feeling?”  
“Better. Thank you. I was confused when I woke up and my alarm had not woken me up but then I realized you must have turned it off. Thank you.”  
“You deserve a quiet day.”  
“I’m sorry about waking you up. That wasn’t my intention.”  
“Hey, it’s okay. You needed me. Don’t feel sorry, okay? I’m not mad.”

Theo smiled at Liam and then returned his attention towards his drawing on Liam’s arm. “It’s just the outlines, I can draw it with colors on paper if you want.” He said after a while and released Liam’s arm. “You can look now.”

Liam raised his head and turned his arm and then he gasped. “Shit, that’s beautiful already!” On his forearm was the head of a howling wolf with the silhouette of the moon behind and underneath the wolf, located on his wrist, was their pack symbol involved in the wolf’s fur. Liam’s heart beat faster and he just stared at it for a few moments, lost for words.

“Theo, you need to draw this on paper, but only with a few shadows, please. Because this one? I need this on my skin forever!”  
“Shut up, it’s not that good.”  
“You’re right it’s way better than I could ever express it.” Liam leaned over and pulled Theo into a hug before pressing a kiss against his cheek. “You are such a talented artist, why are you not making money with this?”  
“Because...I’m not that good and it’s something I’d like to keep private, okay?”  
“Okay.”

Liam could not resist and reached out to ruffle Theo’s hair, knowing full well his friend hated that. As expected Theo hissed and slapped Liam’s hand away. Liam laughed. “Aw, look, I found a kitten!”  
Theo growled playfully and used his pillow to swat Liam over the head with that. Liam laughed and covered his head with his hands, trying to grip the pillow and fight Theo off. A yelp left his throat when Theo grabbed him and pinned him to the bed, a satisfied smirk on the chimera’s face. “This time I was stronger.”   
“I can still roll us around.” Liam reminded Theo and the older grinned even more smugly than before and straddled him, still keeping Liam pressed to the mattress. “Try!” He challenged.  
Liam did try but from how Theo had him pressed on the mattress, he knew it was a losing battle. “Fucker.” He mumbled and Theo laughed loudly.   
“Such foul language from such an angelic looking puppy.”  
“I’m not angelic looking! Did you hit your head without me noticing?”  
“You have literally no sense of the beauty of words, have you?” Theo sighed and shook his head before looking at Liam who he still had pinned. “What am I supposed to do with you, you philistine?”  
“You’re doing a pretty good job of grounding me until now. Should be proud of yourself. And now let me go.”  
“Uh, is that an order?” Theo teased.  
Liam flashed his eyed at him in reply. “Yes.” He said with a laugh.   
Theo still looked at him and then he leaned down, seemingly to press a kiss against Liam’s cheek.  
But then he stopped at Liam’s ear. “It’s quite hot when you do that, you know? Take it from your Beta.” Before Liam could even answer he had gotten up from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Liam to blankly stare after him. 

******  
Liam took a deep breath and held it before breathing out again. He sat on his bed, windows opened wide, and let the moon shine in. The full moon, His second full moon as an Alpha and even though he still felt the pull and had tensed in the beginning, he was determined not to let his nerves get the best of him now. He would keep control, he trusted himself, and he had Theo with him who sat on the floor, leaned against Liam’s bed, and drew.

Now the young Alpha opened his eyes and watched the moon. “This must be even more beautiful in the woods with the rest of the pack.” He muttered and raised a hand to watch the silver light on his skin. Theo hummed and Liam changed his position to lay on his stomach and look over Theo’s shoulder. The older one was bringing on paper what he had drawn on Liam’s arm and Liam still found it looked absolutely amazing. He really admired Theo’s talent. 

“By the way, greetings from Byron. He called while you were at work. Asked how you were doing and if everything was fine. The pack is okay too, they miss us and sent their greetings.”  
“Thank you.” Theo said and kept drawing, but finally, he raised his head. “Did you talk to Scott?”  
Liam shook his head. “Nope. He’s back at Beacon Hills but there is still so much he as to take care of. I talked to Mason and Corey though. I think Corey’s about to propose to Mason. He dropped some hints.”  
“Better start writing your speech then. You will be Mason’s best man without a doubt.” Theo tilted his head so he could look at Liam. Liam grinned. “Corey needs a best man too. Take a wild guess who that could be.”  
Theo’s eyes widened. He had not thought about that. “Me? Seriously?”  
“Why not? You and Corey get along just great, he considers you a real close friend. Why is this such a surprise to you?”  
“I don’t know. I wasn’t the nicest to him in the beginning.”  
“But you are the reason he came back from the dead and you got over the whole chimera pack thing. Things are different now, T.”  
“Huh.” Theo made a doubtful sound and Liam squeezed his shoulder.   
“We all changed, but especially you. No one holds a grudge against you anymore. No member of this pack at least.”

Liam’s grin broadened. “And I get to see you in a suit. That’s the best thing.”  
“I hate suits.” Theo scrunched his nose.

******  
“Thank you so much. Have a nice day.” Liam told the cashier at the campus’ café after he had accepted his ordered sandwich and a bottle of water. It was between his classes, he had a little break so he could make a detour to the café and grab himself one of the delicious sandwiches. Now he left the café again and pulled out one half of his sandwich to take a bite.

He felt good. After he managed to stay in control last night, despite the full moon, he felt full of energy and he was proud of himself. Thanks to Theo’s pep talk and their connection as each other’s anchors he felt himself getting better at the whole Alpha thing. There were still some obstacles to overcome but Liam was fine with baby steps. Rome wasn't built in a day either. He was still learning but he would do his best to improve and get better over time.

Outside the café was a girl handing out flyers to everyone passing by, mumbling something about the rainforest and endangered animals. But suddenly she touched her forehead and then sank down on the stairs leading towards the café. Liam frowned and walked over to her. 

“Hey, you okay? Do you need help?” He asked worriedly, placing a hand on her shoulder while kneeling beside her.

She bit her lip and ran a hand through her black hair but nodded. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” She mumbled. But the bags under her eyes betrayed her. She looked pale and exhausted. Now her stomach growled and she blushed and wrapped her arms around herself as if to prevent her body from keeping anything away. “You can leave. Please.”  
“You sure? I can call someone if you want me to.”  
“No! Just, let me sit here, okay?”  
Her voice was meant to sound rude but she looked and acted more like a caged animal and Liam raised his hands in surrender. 

A part of Liam wanted to stay, another part told him not to get involved. There were so many reasons she could be in such a bad shape, this was college after all, and it didn’t mean she was in trouble. But his good heart prevented him from leaving before at least trying to help. 

“Here.” He handed over half of his sandwich and his water bottle. “Looks like you need this more than me. It’s cheese and ham, I hope you like it.”

She looked at him with a baffled look on her face but accepted the sandwich and the water. Liam sent her a soft smile and then retreated. Time for his next class anyway and she clearly didn’t want to talk. So he turned around and walked away. 

******  
“What about pizza?”  
“No, we just ate pizza on Friday. We are college students, but come on.”  
“Okay, okay, then Indian?” Theo flicked through the various flyers they had gathered in the kitchen over time. Liam sat on the kitchen counter and made a face.   
“No, not feeling like it!”  
“For fuck’s sake, Liam, then tell me what you want to eat!”  
“Hm, good question. I don’t know.”  
“I swear, Dunbar!”

Liam grabbed the flyers from Theo and looked through them. “Chinese?” He finally said and held up the flyer. Theo narrowed his eyes but then shrugged. “Fine by me.”

He pulled out his phone to order but a knock on the door made him halter and the friends shared a look.

“Expecting anyone?” Liam asked and got up to get the door. Theo shook his head but followed so he could also see who was visiting them. Liam opened the door and his eyes widened in surprise. In front of him stood the girl he shared his sandwich with earlier today. They stared at each other and then she spoke.

“I know who you are. You’re Liam Dunbar. And you were right: I need your help after all.” She said and her eyes flashed gold.

Liam looked at Theo who looked back but said nothing and Liam stepped aside to let her enter the apartment. She followed the invitation and stepped inside so Liam could close the door behind her. 

“You may know my name but I have no idea who you are. Mind introducing you?” Liam asked her and walked over to step next to Theo. He had no idea what she wanted, so he stayed close to his pack mate.

“I’m Maya Duncan. And I really need you to help me with my control. You’re Liam Dunbar, you are Theo Raeken, you belong to the McCall Pack. If you can’t help me, no one can.”  
Liam tilted his head. “What makes you so sure we are the right choice?”  
“Because I heard about you. You are the Beta with anger issues. If someone can help me with control, it’s you.”

Liam glanced at Theo. “Beta with anger issues, really? That’s my reputation in the werewolf community?”  
Theo shrugged. “Don’t look at me, I didn’t start it. Werewolves like to gossip.”  
Liam ran a hand through his hair. “Oh, great.”  
“He is not a Beta anymore, by the way.” Theo told Maya and she looked confused.  
“Theo.” Liam scolded softly but Theo wasn’t having it.  
“What? I’m proud of you.”  
Liam smiled and Theo smiled back and for a moment Liam forgot Maya was there until she cleared her throat. When he looked back at her and saw the confusion written on her face, he flashed his eyes to make her understand. 

“Oh my god, you are an Alpha now! That means you can help me even better!” She stepped closer and grabbed his arm. “Please, I don’t know what else I should do!”

Theo growled in warning and took a step forward. She was too close to his Alpha, was touching Liam, and he didn’t like it one bit. Maya stared at him, wide-eyed and shocked, and immediately stepped back again, hands raised. “I don’t want to cause any harm!”

Liam put a hand against Theo’s chest. “Okay, we all calm down now. First of, Maya, I need your full story to know how I am supposed to help you and if I can help you at all. We wanted to order takeout, Chinese, want some too?”  
She looked surprised by his offer. “From the Chinese place nearby?” When Liam nodded, she took her wallet from her bag and dug out money. “Menu No. 7, please. Thank you.”

Theo took the money from her. He didn’t need to ask Liam what he wanted. He knew.   
“Want something to drink?” Liam asked Maya.  
“Water, if you don’t mind.”   
So Liam filled a glass with water and handed it to her while Theo ordered their food and then they moved to the living room to sit and talk. 

Liam and Theo on one couch, Maya on the other. The chimera was still tensed and eyed her warily, ready to jump between her and Liam if she was doing anything nasty. But Liam found she looked rather lost and small than dangerous, sitting there all alone, cradling her glass in her hands and staring at her shoes. Liam took in her appearance for the first time. She was average height, her black hair was cut short and only just brushed her shoulders, slightly curled. It matched with her fair skin and the dark brown eyes. She was slim but fit build and Liam was sure she could handle herself just well, but in the moment she looked pale and sickly. 

“Why don’t you start at the beginning.” He coaxed her gently.

Maya smiled softly and then raised her head to look at him and Theo. “I’m a born werewolf and my parents tried their best to prepare me for a life as a werewolf. But when I was ten, they died in a train accident and I have been living with my aunt ever since. I love my aunt, she’s a werewolf too, but since my parent’s death, I seem to have lost my anchor.” She sipped her water and shrugged. 

“So you wolf out and go on a destruction spree?” Theo inquired and she shook her head.  
“No, I chain myself up every full moon. That’s when blocking the shift becomes the hardest.”  
“Hold on a second! You block your shift?” Liam asked incredulously. When she nodded, he frowned. “That’s possible?”  
“It is.” Theo chimed in. “I heard about it. But it’s not really good. Not healthy at all.” He added carefully.  
Maya let out a dry laugh. “It’s painful but I have to. My wolf is untamed, I can’t let it out. Last time I did, I almost hurt my aunt. Can’t do this anymore. So I chain myself up, just in case, and I don’t allow myself to shift. I go on runs until I’m exhausted on a full moon and I starve myself the week leading to the full moon so I am weak enough to handle it.”

Liam swallowed. That sounded absolutely horrible and he pitied her that she had to endure this over and over again. He knew how hard control was, but this sounded harder than everything he ever encountered.   
“And why are you reaching out to us now?” Theo asked.  
“Because I can’t do this anymore. It’s killing me.” Maya’s eyes got glassy. “I can’t do more full moons like that. I won’t survive this. In the beginning, I thought I could handle this. That I didn’t need help but then it got harder and harder. I’m hungry, I almost pass out, and my whole body hurts. I’m going through hell every full moon and I can’t do this anymore. I need help.”

Liam glanced at Theo when Maya ended. His roommate was just as affected by her words as Liam because if someone knew how it was to experience a vicious circle over and over again, it was Theo Raeken. Going through hell, that was something he was familiar with. So he didn’t need to ask to know they both would try their best to help her.

“Okay, uhm, I admit this is all very new to me. I’m not an Alpha for that long, you know? But I will try to help you.” Liam thought about it. “You said you chain yourself up, that means you have a place, right?”  
“Yes, I have a special place where I spend full moons.” She confirmed.  
“Okay, I’d say we will visit this Friday after classes and then we will think about a way to help you. Because what you just described sounds horrible.”

There was another knock on the door and Theo went to gather their food and pay the delivery guy. He came back to the living room and they all moved to the floor to sit around the table and eat.

“Tell us something about yourself, Maya.” Liam said and nibbled on a piece of chicken. She swallowed her noddles, took a sip from her water, and shrugged.

“I’m twenty and study Environmental Science. I take part in a lot of political activities around the campus and I am a big supporter of saving the nature. It’s important.”

“Oh hey, I think I saw you around campus sometimes. Didn’t you chain yourself to the big oak in front of the library to keep it from getting logged?” Theo remembered and she grinned.

“That was me, yeah. This tree is old but it’s not rotten, you can’t just log it. Protests like this one are important.” She pointed her chopstick towards Liam. “You play lacrosse and you are a bitten werewolf. Bitten by Scott McCall, True Alpha. It’s impressive what you did with the lacrosse team. The guys were bad.” Her chopstick wandered over to Theo. “Theo Raeken, a chimera. What exactly does that mean? I mean, I know the definition of a chimera, but what are you?”

“Partly werewolf, partly coyote. Are you always this straightforward?” Theo asked her, more amused than anything else. Maya grinned.  
“That’s me. I state my opinion, I say how I see things, I ask what I want to know. Is that bad?”  
“Theo likes straightforward people because if he likes you, he is just as straightforward.” Liam muttered and Theo laughed. “True.”

“I like how you respond to rude customers in the coffee shop. It’s refreshing.” Maya admitted and she caught Theo by surprise.   
“You know I work at the coffee shop?”  
“A study friend of mine has a crush on you.” Maya said with a shrug and continued wolfing down her noodles. Liam snorted with laughter.  
“Theo Raeken, heartbreaker at your service.” He mocked.  
“I hate you!” Theo muttered in Liam’s direction and Liam snickered and stole one of Theo’s shrimps for that. Theo pushed him away but Liam kept the shrimp still. Theo stole one of Liam’s egg rolls as compensation. Maya watched them with an amused expression.  
“You two are dating or not?”  
“Not. We’re not dating.” Liam replied and grinned at Theo before munching his shrimp. Maya chuckle. “Good to know.”

******  
“Think to help Maya will be a mistake?” Liam asked while he was cleaning up the empty packages from their food. After they ate they had talked a bit, about college and their classes and then she left. Now it was just them again and Liam used it to talk to his anchor.

Theo shrugged and put their glasses in the sink. “She sure needs help and I don’t think she has any ulterior motives. She seemed helpless and like the situation got over her head. But, Liam, in case she tries anything, I’ll slash her throat and you cannot stop me. One wrong move and that girl is history:”

Liam chuckled, stepped next to Theo and kissed his cheek. “I knew you would say that. Don’t worry, Theo, I’m not completely trusting her yet and I’m keeping both eyes open for any suspicious behavior. If she does try something, I won’t keep you from punishing her. How does that sound?”

“Good to me. Oh, and you’re not meeting her alone on Friday. I’m coming with you. No way you’re following to wherever the hell she’s hiding on a full moon without me.”

“Aw, my sweet Beta, so protective of your Alpha. That touches my heart!”  
“Could you not? I mean it! It’s my job to protect you, you’re my anchor, my best friend, you’re my Liam!”   
“I know, T. I know. And I am grateful you’re protecting me so much. But I still need you to know I am capable of handling things on my own. Don’t forget, I’m the Alpha and if it ever comes to it, we will both protect each other which means we will side by side, just like all these years now.”

Theo was satisfied with that and hopped on the kitchen counter to crack his fortune cookie. “ _Friends are like chocolate chips. It’s good to keep them close by._ ” He read and grinned. “Well, in that case.” He grabbed Liam and pulled him closer, right between his legs. Arms wrapped around Liam’s shoulder, he didn’t even let go when Liam laughed but softly patted his arm.  
“You’re crushing me.”  
“I don’t care, the cookie said to keep you close.”  
“You’re a dork.” 

Liam managed to free himself and trotted into the living room where he threw himself on one of the couches. Theo followed not fast behind and just to annoy Liam he jumped on top of him. Liam ooffed and mumbled something that vaguely sounded like “Asshole.”

“Forgot your cookie.” Theo told him and held out the cookie. Liam took it and then moved on the couch, wiggled out from underneath Theo and somehow they settled with Theo on his back, one arm wrapped around Liam who was curled against him and cracked his cookie open. He read the slip and smirked. “ _To conquer your flaws, you must first accept them._ I’m keeping this.”

“A nice motivation. And it really fits you because sometimes you are really hard on yourself.”   
Liam sighed. “I just want to do the right thing. Especially now that I’m an Alpha. And you see people are already looking for help. I need to do the right thing!”  
“I told you once that you will be a good Alpha because of your flaws. You know the struggles and I think you can help Maya too.”

Liam huffed. “Honestly, right now I have no idea how to help her. She seems afraid of her wolf but while my wolf tended to be aggressive her wolf seems so very different and really just untamed. Not belligerent, you know? I don’t know what she expects me to teach her.”  
“Teach her how to accept that part of her. True control and with that the access to true potential can only be achieved by acceptance. You are a person but you are also a wolf. That’s what our pack lives and teaches. She needs to learn it just like you and me had to.”  
Liam smiled. “You said our pack. I think that’s a first.” He mumbled happily. Theo blushed slightly and tried to play it off.  
“It’s the first pack I’m part of so it just happened.”  
“I like it when you say that.” 

He closed his eyes and snuggled closer to Theo. The lost sleep from the full moon was finally getting up to him and he was sated and comfortable, so he felt the exhausting creep up on him. 

“Any chance you’re carrying me to bed?” He asked, not really expecting an answer from Theo. And he indeed didn’t get one. Guess he either had to sleep on the couch or drag himself to his feet and into his room. Both didn’t sound promising but he was too lazy to get up so sleeping on the couch it would be. Maybe Theo would stay here too, then it was comfortable and warm at least.

But suddenly he felt Theo gently moving away from him and Liam caught himself from letting out a disappointed sigh last minute. That would have been embarrassing and way too much to explain. He just stayed quiet and curled up on the couch but suddenly two strong arms wrapped around him and Liam was lifted off the couch.

The young Alpha squeaked and opened his eyes. Theo was carrying him in no other way than bridal style right into his bedroom. “Wow, thanks.”  
“Don’t mention it. You look pretty beat.” Theo explained his actions and put Liam down on his bed. Liam smiled at him.  
“Thanks, T. What about you? How are you feeling? You stayed up with me too during the full moon. You must be exhausted too.”   
Theo shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m going to bed now too.” 

It was hard for him to have others worry about him. Theo was not used to people caring about him but Liam did. He cared deeply and that’s why he reached up and cupped Theo’s face.   
“Hey, don’t forget to take care of yourself, okay? You are my first Beta but that doesn’t mean I want you to be ready for battle 24/7. You need to rest too and do things you enjoy. I need and I want you to be happy, okay?”  
Theo nodded “Okay. But being with you is what I enjoy. You’re my best friend, Liam.”

It warmed his heart and Liam smiled happily at Theo which he returned. “Okay, sweetheart, you can be very charming and know exactly what you have to say but now it’s time for bed. Good Night, Theo.”  
“Good Night, Liam.”   
Theo smiled and then left the room when Liam let go of him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first full moon for Liam as an Alpha. Theo having nightmares and needing protection from them. Guess Liam found his first tattoo. The first pack member is here. Wow, so much happened.
> 
> Maya was literally the first I ever created when it came to the pack so she has a special place in my heart. How do you like her so far? Liam’s finally getting asked as Alpha and has to make decisions. We will see what future holds for him. For now, he has to help Maya. If he will manage to do that? 
> 
> Also: I was asked about the pack symbol Liam thought off and added it to the last chapter in case you want to check it out.


	7. Good job, Alpha!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya needs to learn better ways to tame her wolf, Liam has to be an Alpha for the first time in his life and Theo gets a surprise.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Theo stared at what was in front of him, hazel eyes widened in shock, and completely flabbergasted. His gaze finally wandered to Maya. “You can’t be serious!”  
She raised her shoulders in defense. “I said I had a place to chain me up.”  
“Yeah, I expected a basement, a cell, hell even a dungeon. I didn’t expect a tool shed in the garden of an elderly woman. That’s...I have no words for that. Liam! Say something!”  
“She’s hard of hearing, almost deaf, and she lets me rent the shed for a few bucks. I told her I’m working on a theater project so she should not pay attention to any sound. Not that she would hear something anyway! And the walls are sturdy enough so I can chain myself there and not break free.” Maya still defended herself.

Liam knelt on the ground and inspected the holders she used for her chains as well as the chains. Some had traces of dried blood on them, he guesses it was from rubbing her skin when she was tossing and squirming. The whole shed was filled with the stench of desperation, fear and pain and Liam had almost gagged when he first entered. She had said it was hell but this was worth than expected. 

Liam now got to his feet again. “You made Theo speechless, that’s an accomplishment itself.” He said and looked at her. Theo gave him a look like they were in The Office but Liam ignored him for now. “I see no claw marks here, you’re really blocking your shift completely.”  
Maya nodded. “Only my eyes glow. Neither my fangs nor my claws come out. I can’t risk it.”

The nineteen-year-old sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I still have no idea how to help you overcome this fully but I’m willing to try something. We will work on it with the way our pack, the Morning Dew pack, does. I need you to be open towards it.”  
“Anything in order to not wish I was dead on full moons.” She agreed. “Thank you, Liam.”   
“Thank me when we really managed to help you.” He said with a small smile. He didn’t want to get her hopes high and then let her down. Only from what she told him and what he saw here, Liam knew she had a long way to go. 

Stepping outside of the shed, Liam took a breath of the fresh air. This was better than being inside a tiny shed reeking of all kinds of unwanted things. “We can start right now if you want.” He offered. 

But before she could take him up on his offer, her phone ringed and she checked the text she had gotten. “I need to work. A co-worker called in sick.” She then announced and let her phone sink. “I am sorry, Liam, but we can text and meet again soon?”  
“Yeah, sure.” Liam agreed. She grabbed her bag and waved goodbye before turning around and leaving. Liam watched her go until Theo stepped next to him, arms crossed over his chest.  
“That girl has issues.” He muttered and Liam turned his head to look at him.  
“Perfect fit for us then, huh?” The Alpha replied and Theo shrugged. “Well, maybe. I don’t know.”  
“You still don’t trust her, huh?” 

 They started walking too, leaving the garden. “I still think we should be wary, yes. Maybe she’s really just somebody who needs help but this could be a trap too. She wouldn’t be the first person to lie to us and betray us.”   
“I know and like I said, I’m not fully trusting her, but did you smell the air inside the shed? She’s really desperate and she’s scared of her own wolf. I’m not sure you can fake your chemo signals like that.”  
“Me neither but we still have to be careful. Better safe than sorry, Liam.”  
“I know, I know, Theo.” Liam said and waited for his friend to unlock his truck so they could drive home.  
“And while you say that I know exactly you will run headfirst into danger.”  Theo muttered and unlocked his truck to get inside. Liam got into the passenger seat but hesitated before closing the door.  
“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Theo shrugged and buckled up. “I know you.” He said cryptically and waited for Liam to follow his example and buckle up so they could drive home.   
But Liam just looked at him, both eyebrows raised and with a frown. Theo sighed. “You have a good heart and if you think someone needs you, you immediately ruin to aid them, danger be damned. And it’s my job to make sure you don’t get yourself killed while doing so.”  
“That sounds like you’re my babysitter.”  
“Well...Yeah. In moments like this, I am.”  
“I don’t need a babysitter.”  
“Uh uh, I beg to differ.”

Theo glanced over and was rewarded with **the look**. Something Liam had mastered over the years and Theo knew he had fucked up. **The look** consisted of Liam raising both eyebrows, blue eyes wide, and a mixture of a frown and a very pissed of look on his face, like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to explode immediately or wait until the other person screwed up even more than they already did. It may sound like it was nothing but when you were on the receiving end of **the look** it was a dead giveaway trouble was coming your way. 

“Don’t look at me like that, you know I’m right.”  
Hah, look who was talking. Theo obviously decided, against better judgment, to continue.  
“I like to help people, I think that’s what everyone should do and maybe I’m a bit reckless but I don’t need a babysitter.” Liam now stated.  
“Then you would get yourself killed faster than you can think. I’m just doing my job to protect you. You were the one who made me your first Beta.”  
“I’m still the Alpha and I can handle myself.” Liam stated firmly and glared at Theo who huffed and rolled his eyes.  
“Of course you can. I will remind you next time you’re almost dying. And could you please buckle up now so we can drive?”  
Liam buckled up but he said nothing else and just stared out of the window. Theo sighed and started the engine. 

The mood between the two friends was tensed and they said nothing the whole drive. At home, Liam left the car without saying anything. He didn’t wait for Theo to catch up with him when they walked into the apartment building and was tempted to slam the door into Theo’s face but refrained from it. The only door he slammed was his bedroom door once inside the apartment. 

And then Liam stayed inside the rest of the day, only leaving to make himself something to eat and to use the bathroom, then he hid again inside his room. Theo didn’t knock to make up, Liam was too stubborn to make the first move, so the mood stayed tense the rest of the day and in the end, they both went to bed with an uneasy feeling om their chests and their stomachs in knots but they didn’t clear the air.

Liam woke up the next morning more or less at the asscrack of dawn and no matter what, he could not go back to sleep. He hated fighting with Theo, he hated not talking to his anchor. He needed Theo close to feeling calm and every fight drove him mad. But his pride and his stubbornness made it impossible to be the bigger person most times.

Liam sighed after a while and got out of bed to change into basketball tracks pants and a grey t-shirt as well as running shoes. Theo seemed to still be sleeping when Liam gathered his money, his phone and left their apartment. The early morning sun felt good on his bare arms and he inhaled while starting to jog down the street. Thoughts were running through his head and Liam quickened his pace to outrun them for a while. He knew Theo just wanted to protect him but they were both pig-headed and that’s why they clashed so often. They could see where the other was coming from, they were just too stubborn to give in. 

He had run for a while when suddenly another person caught up to him and when he glanced over Maya was jogging next to him, also dressed in running gear.  
“Hi.” She greeted with a soft smile and Liam could not help but return. “Hi.”  
She frowned while they jogged next to each other. “Your chem signals are sour. You’re irritated. Something’s wrong?”  
“You are really straightforward, you remind me of Malia. You two would get along.” Liam smiled weakly and then slowed down a bit to catch his breath and shrug. “It’s nothing, just an argument with Theo.”  
“About me?” She made it sound like a question but it was more a statement than that.  
Liam groaned. “Partly about you as well. But also about other things. He patronizes me a bit too much from time to time.”  
Maya sighed. “I am sorry. It was never my intention to make you two fight. I just wanted help and I know you don’t trust me but I’m honest. I’m sorry.”

Liam felt sorry for her and shook his head. “It’s true, we don’t fully trust you yet but that’s nothing personal. We’ve been through too much to trust people blindly. But if we wouldn’t trust you at all, we would have not accepted to help you, so you’re good. It’s not your fault Theo and I fought. It wasn’t even a real fight, more like a heated discussion, but it left us both pissed.”  
“My aunt and I, we are very close. I love her and she is pretty cool. I know I can tell her everything, she’s like an older sister to me, but she naturally sees some things differently than I do. It’s then when we clash and we clash because we both are important to each other. There are days she drives me so mad but I know she only manages to do that because she gets under my skin. Theo and you, you drive each other mad because you are important to each other as well. It’s one of the first things somebody notices about the two of you. I mean, he almost ripped my head off for touching you. He can be quite scary when he gets into growly chimera mood, he’s aware of that, right?”  
Liam laughed. “Oh yeah, he definitely is.”  
Maya laughed too. Liam then decided he really liked her. 

“Your aunt, does she lives around here?”  
“Montana. So, not really.” Maya grinned. “But I liked the environmental program Seattle had and that’s why I left for my first year. It’s strange without her but I figured I could also have a fresh start and maybe a new city would help tame my wolf.”  
“Hold on a second, I thought you were twenty. Now it sounds like you just started college.”  
“Yeah, well maybe I’m not twenty _yet_. I learned people take you more seriously when you make yourself a tad older. I’m almost twenty. My birthday’s in May.”  
“That makes you younger than me!” Liam blurted out and laughed. “You are a strange girl, Maya Duncan.”  
“Says the one who is known as Beta and suddenly is an Alpha. Speaking of, how did you become an Alpha? I wanted to ask since the first time I saw your eyes.”

They were walking next to each other now and Liam grinned before telling her his story. “You see, me being an Alpha is still new.” He ended. Maya looked at him in awe.  
“That’s one of the coolest stories on how someone became an Alpha. The Morning Dew pack sounds really awesome.”  
Liam bowed his head with a smile. He was proud of his pack. “Thank you so much, Maya. Hey, I have an idea. You need help to tame your wolf, so let’s start right now.”

He stepped under a tree. It was still early for too many people so there rarely was someone walking past them and those who were doing their Walk of Shames or were still too drunk to care. Maya had followed Liam but looked unsure. “What are we going to do?”  
Liam turned around to look at her. “From what you told me and what I smelled, you’re afraid of your wolf. Afraid of this part of you and that’s the problem. It is a part of you, you were even born with it, you can’t just block it. So we need to do the same with you as Byron did with me: Learning how to work with the wolf.”  
Her eyes went wide as saucers. “Oh no! The last time I let my wolf out, I broke my aunt’s arm! No, no, no, no!”  
“Maya.” Liam said softly but firmly. He took her hands in his. “Relax. I’m not letting you hurt anybody.”  
“And who stops me from hurting you? I’m not keen on having my throat ripped out by Theo because I touched you.”  
“Theo and I, we discuss and argue a lot but he trusts my judgment. He won’t hunt you down because you won’t hurt me either. Trust me.”

She still looked unsure but after a while, her shoulders sagged. “Okay, fine. What should I do?”  
“Close your eyes and just focus on listening. You like nature, so this will surely help you.” Liam watched Maya follow his instructions. It was still new to him to coach others through it but he liked the new aspect of his life.  
“Just focus on what you really hear, not what you think you hear. I didn’t realize those were two different things at first but it makes sense if you think about it.”  
Maya stayed still, obviously trying to follow with it. “I hear birds.” She mumbled after a while. “And your heartbeat. You realize your heart beats almost in the same tact as Theo’s? I heard it when we were eating and you were teasing each other. It’s oddly similar.”  
“I...Really?” Liam had never paid attention to it but it made him smile. Maye opened one eye and looked at him. 

“You really like him, huh?”  
“He’s one of my closest friends, my roommate and he is my anchor. So yes, I do.”  
She smirked at him and he rolled his eyes but laughed. “Focus on listening, not teasing me!”

“Yadda yadda!” Maya replied but closed her eye again and inhaled. Only to snort after a while. “I hear nothing extraordinary. What’s that supposed to teach me?”  
“Maya, your hear things other people don’t hear. You smell things others are not aware of. These are your wolf abilities. The wolf is always there, if you block it or not, you can't separate them! Person and wolf belong together, you need to learn to work with both and not against one of them. So try, really try, to hear all the things normal people don’t hear. Work with your wolf.”  
She kept her eyes closed but she tensed and Liam felt her grip on his hands tighten. “Maya, it’s okay, relax.” He said but she still gripped his hands and she started shaking. Fear was waving off her and Liam’s heart tightened.   
“Maya, open your eyes!”

She pried her eyes open and gasped and then she let go of him and stumbled back, falling over her feet and landing on the ground. Liam looked at her, shocked how violent she had reacted. He had not expected her fear to be so overwhelming. It made his own wolf snarl inside, put off by her distrust in her own wolf. She glanced at him, still trembling, and Liam saw himself, five years ago, trembling and panicked on the ground, telling Scott he couldn’t be a monster. Now the roles were reserved, he was standing tall while a Beta was on the ground, desperate for help, overwhelmed, and Liam knew he would help her.   
He knelt down. “It’s okay.” He muttered. “We will manage. You’ll be fine.” She was still shaking, desperate in need of consolation and he let his eyes glow. “I promise you, you’ll be fine.” It was his promise as Alpha. 

******  
Liam opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside, softly closing the door behind him in case Theo was still sleeping. He was lost in his thoughts, replaying his encounter with Maya. It had taken some time before she calmed down again and then Liam had walked her to her dorm building. She went inside with thanks and a shy smile and Liam had walked back home, only stopping at the campus’ coffee shop. He really wanted to help her but this morning had shown him it was a long way ahead of them.

He met Theo in the kitchen of their shared apartment and they silently looked at each other before Liam put Theo’s favorite coffee and a white chocolate cupcake on the kitchen counter. Theo loved both things and his lips turned into a small smile.  
“Peace offering?” He inquired.  
“Peace offering.” Liam confirmed and smiled softly too.  
Theo searched for his eyes and then opened his arms in silent invitation. Liam rounded the kitchen counter and happily accepted the embrace by wrapping his own arms around the chimera’s waist and pressing his face against Theo’s chest. Theo hugged him back immediately, pulling Liam to his chest and putting his chin on top of the younger one’s head.

“I just want to protect you, Lee.” Theo muttered after a while and Liam hummed.   
“I know you do. I’m just too stubborn to be thankful for that sometimes, Dore.”  
Theo chuckled and still held Liam. “Stubborn little Alpha.”  
“Hm, stubborn little Beta.” Liam snickered and Theo grumbled playfully. “Not little!”  
“Yeah, well, I’m not little either.” Liam piped in.  
“But I am taller than you.” Theo countered and Liam sulked for a moment. It was true. Theo was slightly taller and he could not argue with the truth. Theo, who knew damn well he had won, smirked smugly. 

“Stop that!” Liam protested.  
“I’m not doing anything.” Theo defended himself with a laugh.  
“I’m talking about you grinning so smugly.”  
“You don’t even see my face.”  
“I don’t have to. I know you, Dore” Liam replied and finally raised his head to look at his anchor. “See? The smug grin, there it is.”   
Theo grinned even wider. “So what? I just like to have the last word. Should know that by now.” And he kissed Liam’s nose just to mess with him. Liam scrunched his nose like an adorable little rabbit and Theo chuckled at his antics. Then he let go of Liam in favor of grabbing the coffee Liam bought him. He took a large sip and Liam watched him while shaking his head. “You are such a coffee addict.”  
“I’m not addicted to coffee. We’re just in a very committed relationship.”

******  
“Okay, I’m here I would have arrived sooner but the line at the coffee shop was insanely long. Anyway, I bought drinks for you, guys.” Maya held up the paper tray and then sat down across from Theo who leaned against the big oak tree in front of the library. The big tree was giving enough shadow to sit there and not get sunburn any minute. Liam laid on his back, head resting on Theo's lap, and watched his friend make grabby hands at the drink Maya offered him.  
“You just became Theo’s favorite person. His coffee dealer.”  
“Coffee is always a good idea.” Maya mumbled and sipped her own. Liam could just groan. “You too? You’re also a coffee addict?”  
“Shut up, puppy, since you became friends with me you drink a lot of coffee as well.” Theo threw in and Liam shrugged. “I do, yes. But I’m not as addicted to it as you are, sweetheart.”  
“My point still stands. I tainted you.”  
Liam just grinned ad bit back a comment. He sat up instead and grabbed his own coffee, taking a sip. 

“Now that you’re here, Maya, want to start?”  
Her face darkened slightly, almost as if she wanted to say No, but then she nodded hesitantly. Liam handed her pen and paper. “Write down everything you associate with your wolf.” Liam tasked and held out pen and paper for Theo too. The chimera gave him a puzzled look. “Why me?”  
“Because you have control over your wolf. I want to compare things.”  
“You can’t compare my wolf to yours or Maya’s. I’m a chimera, that works differently.”  
“Yeah, what exactly makes you a chimera? I know you are one and I know you did some bad things but redeemed yourself. That’s all I know. If you don’t mind me asking.” Maya sat cross-legged, looking at Theo.

“I was made in a laboratory. I’m not really a supernatural being. Hence why I can touch mountain ash for example.”  
Maya considered this. “You were made...Huh, that explains a lot. Nobody can be that attractive by nature.”  
Liam snorted into his coffee. “No, that’s just unfair DNA. Some people were just lucky.”  
Theo gave him a look and Liam raised an amused eyebrow while sipping his coffee. “What? You can’t deny you hit the DNA jackpot.”

“I...” Theo refrained from saying anything else and just sipped his coffee. Liam and Maya shared a grin and then Maya looked down on her paper and started to write some things down. She handed it over to Liam after a while and he read what she had written down. It was all negative, things like fear, anger, and pain appeared several times. He could work with that.

“Okay, get up.” He said up and got to his feet too. He had instructed her to wear workout clothes and she was wearing black yoga pants and a blue top. Liam himself was wearing a black tank top and dark red basketball shorts. “We’re going for a run. Try to keep up with me.”

He started jogging and Maya matched his pace. Theo stayed behind, he had to work later and decided to just hang out with them but not taking part in their exercise. They now jogged for a while, Liam steadily going faster. “Come on, keep up, Maya!” He challenged her and got faster again. She managed to keep up for a while and if she fell back she stayed hot on his trail but the faster he got, the more she fell back. Just like Liam had experienced with Byron, outrunning an Alpha as Beta was almost impossible, especially if the Alpha was as young as Liam.

Liam turned around and jogged backward. “Come on, Duncan, you can do better than that! I haven’t even pulled out the big guns yet and you’re already falling behind?”  
She groaned. “That’s unfair! You’re an Alpha!”  
“So? I never said you have to be faster than me but come on, you can be closer than that!” There were a few feet between them and the distance grew.

“You’re working out, right? I see your fit build. This is nothing new for you, so I know you can do better. Come on, try to get close to me!” Liam challenged the younger wolf once more.  
Maya groaned again but tried to jog faster and yet she didn’t even come remotely close. Liam stopped.

“You’re not even trying.”  
“Of course I am. Have you ever tried racing a car with just your feet? That’s what it feels like. You are faster than me, way faster. There is no use for me to even try and keep up.”  
“This is not a race, Maya. I just want you to try and come closer, that's all.” He explained to her when she finally stopped in front of him, hand on her hips and out of breath.  
“Sorry, can’t do it. That’s the best I’ve got.”

Liam tilted his head and listened to her heartbeat. It was faster thanks to running but he clearly heard the tick at her words. Her own body betrayed her. “You’re lying.”  
“What?”  
“You’re lying. You can be faster and here’s my theory: You know you can do it and yet you refuse to do it. Because being faster means using your wolf. Means tapping into what you want to deny so desperately. How often did it happen? How often did you run faster without noticing and when you did, you stopped, deadly afraid of what you did?”  
She frowned and wrapped her arms around herself and Liam knew he was right.  
“How do you heal? How long does it take?”  
“Depends. If I cut myself while cooking or have a bruise it hurts for two or three days but then it’s gone.”  
“So you slow down your healing abilities but you use them. You use your wolf and tell me, is it bad? Does it feel like losing control?”  
“No, but Liam, everything else does. I run and get faster, faster than normal human beings, and I like it, but when I give in I won’t stop. I won’t stop being strong and beings strong means grabbing a person’s arm, werewolf or not, and using so much strength the bones break almost in half. It means pushing someone against the kitchen counter, trapping them. Because you are so wild and untamed. It means having them look at you like you are a monster.”

She was crying at the end and Liam wrapped his arms around her. “Hey, shh.” He muttered softly and stroke through her hair. “I know how you feel, Maya, better than you might know. I felt the same once. But I managed to gain control and you can do it too.”  
She sniffed. “You did?”  
Liam nodded. “Yeah. Even before I was bitten.” He cleared his throat. “You know me as Beta with anger issues. It’s my IED, my condition. I suffer from it since I was a young boy and when my coach benched me I flipped out and trashed his car. I will never forget the look on my parent’s faces when they heard what I did. They looked at me like I was a monster, no longer their son, and when I was bitten my biggest fear was they would find out I indeed became a monster. I learned there is a difference between a werewolf and a monster but there were moments when I knew how close I got to become one. I get you, Maya. I’m learning to see my wolf as a partner rather than an enemy. Want to learn with me?”  
She nodded and wiped her tears away. “Thank you, Liam.”  
He smiled softly. “Anytime.”

When Liam looked up he saw Theo standing there, watching them. He noticed Liam’s glance and gave him a thumbs up paired with a smile. _Good job, Alpha!  
_ Liam smiled back and Theo waved, indicating he was going to work now. 

******  
“I hate meditation.”  
Liam opened his eyes. “Me too but this is not a meditation.”  
“Sitting here, listening to nature, inhaling and exhaling, sounds a lot like meditation to me.” Maya told him and gave him a pointed look. They were in the park near Liam’s and Theo’s apartment, sitting on the warm grass and trying to tune in with nature. Maya, so Liam learned, was way too impatient for this.

“Maya.” He sighed and fell back on the grass, looking up at the sky. She laid next to him, ankles crossed, and watched the clouds float by. “That one looks like a bird.” She said and pointed at a cloud.  
“And that one looks like a butterfly.” Liam pointed at another one. “Maya, seriously I know it’s hard but you need to concentrate.”  
“I’m trying but I have never been one to sit still for long. I’m always moving around and need something to do. I can’t sit still and just listen to whatever nature has to offer.”

Liam pondered on that. “Okay.” He said and got up. “On your feet!”  
“Why?” She asked but got up too nonetheless. “You don’t plan on kickboxing, right? My aunt tried that once with me and I broke my own wrist to stop my wolf from breaking through.”  
“That’s disturbing on so many levels. But no, no kickboxing. Just catch me.”

“What?” She stared at him as if he had lost his mind. “You’re an Alpha! We already established you’re faster than me!”  
“Aw, you’re scared? Think I will be too fast for you to even come close? Come on, where’s your competitiveness? Get your ass up!”  
“But...” Maya began but stopped when Liam’s eyes glowed red.  
“Try, Beta!” He demanded. And then Liam ran. 

He heard her heartbeat getting further and further away from him but suddenly she was after him, trying to keep up. Liam used his full speed this time, not giving her any real chance. He had a headstart anyway since he had surprised her but he wanted Maya to reach her limits. Theo had done the same with him, riling him up and challenging him and his wolf had broken his nose several times for that. And maybe Maya’s wolf needed the challenge too. If she reached her human limit, her wolf would push her and maybe that way wolf and person löearned to work together.

They raced through the whole park and Liam bypassed Theo. “Liam, what...” The chimera asked confused.  
“Don’t let her catch you!” He shouted over his shoulder and Theo turned to see Maya running after Liam. And just like always, he was insanely good at making connections so he turned around and ran after Liam. 

Theo as chimera wasn’t as fast as Liam as Alpha but he was faster than Maya who was fast but only for a human, fueled a bit by her wolf. She was further behind and after a while, Liam decided it was enough for now and stopped. He slowed down until he completely stopped, and turned around to wait for the two Betas. Theo arrived first, of course he did, but he was out of breath. “Fuck, you got faster too!” He panted and put his hands on his legs to catch his breath.  
Maya came a while after that. “I admit it was fun to play a game of chase but what was the use?” She inquired, more out of breath than Theo.  
Liam grinned. “Your eyes are glowing.”  
Theo looked over his shoulder. “They do.” He confirmed and straightened his back.  
“So what? I told you I can flash my eyes.”  
“When do you flash your eyes usually?”  
“When I have to see something in the dark. Find something in my dorm while my roommate is still sleeping.”  
“And again you’re using your wolf. And your wolf likes a little competition as it seems. Look, Maya, I don’t expect you to shift into a full wolf here. I want you to realize how often you use your wolf for little things. Do they hurt? Does it hurt when you heal a cut on your skin? Does it hurt when you run a little faster than a normal human?”  
She shook her head. “No.”  
“Okay. I get you are afraid of being too much, too fast, too strong, but we can work on this control. Every wolf needs to learn this. We will manage, okay? Baby steps. And maybe one day you will be faster than Theo.”  
“Excuse me?” Theo looked offended and Liam grinned and patted his shoulder. “Relax, you’ll always be my favorite, fastest of them all or not.”  
Theo glared at him and then at Maya who tried to stifle her chuckle but failed gloriously.

******  
Theo and Liam had seen a lot of things in their lives. Lots of nasty, nasty things, some downright terrifying, some just disgusting. But never, and Liam was sure he spoke for both of them, had they seen something like this. It was greenish-brown, looked slimy, and the smell almost made him nauseous. 

“Please tell me you don’t really want to drink this.” Theo muttered with a disgusted look on his face. Maya stirred the green thing in her glass. “It’s kale juice, stop looking like that. It’s healthy.” She raised the glass to her lips and Liam felt Theo grabbing his hand. The young Alpha laced his fingers with Theo’s and grimaced. “I’m going to throw up.” He muttered while she gulped down whatever the heck that was. 

Maya finished her drink in one go and rolled her eyes. “It’s what I drink the week leading to the full moon. That and a few rice waffles I ate. Otherwise, I won’t be able to keep my wolf in check.”  
“Seriously, Maya, this can’t be healthy. Especially not for us.” Liam told her and shuddered when he looked at the empty glass. “You need to find a better way.”  
“Liam, I know we’re working on this but I don’t think I’m so far to change my diet plan and try to handle it if my wolf’s not weakened. So let me have this.”  
“Thank god you’re single. I would pity anybody who has to kiss you after that.” Theo mumbled and Liam bit back a laugh while she kicked his shin under the table. Theo hissed and kicked her back. It was almost a month since Maya sought out their help and the three of them had become good friends already. She trained with them to learn how to tap into her wolf powers without getting overwhelmed and they hang out. Liam learned she was quite the workout partner and Theo learned Maya liked classic books just like him. She also enjoyed painting and it made Liam smile when he saw Theo slip up and talk to Maya about the various styles one could use to make their drawing or painting more alive. 

Theo now raised his hand to give her the finger and noticed his fingers were still laced with Liam’s. So he let go of his drink in the other hand to give her the middle finger with that hand, not intending to break the hold. It made Liam fell all warm inside and he hastily tried to will it down. It was just a friendly gesture because together they had faced the abnormality that had been Maya’s drink. Nothing to lose sleep over. 

******  
The full moon was here and they were in Maya’s shed. She had shown them how she usually chained herself up but now with two more people it went way better. Now she was chained to the wall and Liam and Theo sat on the other side of the shed, waiting. Liam was tensed, not because of the full moon, but because he smelt the fear radiating from her. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she glanced at the small window every now and then. The full moon wasn’t up yet but it wouldn’t take long and she dreaded the moment.  
Theo gently placed a hand on his leg, showing his silent support. Liam was grateful Theo was there with him because he didn’t know he could handle her in distress. Whatever happened to her during full moons, it must be horrible and he wasn’t sure if he could stand that. Theo had said he was used to people in pain thanks to years with the Dread Doctors and even though he cared now, he would be able to stand it better in case Liam needed to leave.

And then it happened. Maya’s breath hitched and she fell forward. Her fingers scraped over the wood floor and she panted. A whimper left her lips and she started shaking. The cloud in front of the moon disappeared and the light shone into the shed and Maya whimpered louder.   
Liam saw her body spasm while it fought the shift, waves of pain rolling through her body. She whimpered and groaned and then she cried out and Liam heard the first crack. Her arm twisted in a way it wasn’t humanly possible and she yelped but continued contorting and spasming until her wrist cracked.

Liam stared at the horror scene in front of him, eyes wide and mouth open in shock.   
“She’s breaking her bones to stop the shift.” Theo muttered next to him. “She’s doing what everybody does to trigger the healing but she does it to weaken herself more.”  
Liam glanced over and it broke his heart. Theo looked just as shocked as Liam did and there were tears in the corner of his eyes. Seeing somebody suffering like that brought not only Liam to tears.

A louder crack made his head spin around. Maya had broken her leg and whimpered in pain. She was pulling at the chains around her body, eyes pressed shut, and blood dripping from her lip where she bit down too hard. Liam felt like every movement from her sent volts of shock through his whole body and he lost track of time how long he stared at her. Her bones were slowly healing but when she twisted her other leg to break it, he could not hold still any longer.

“Liam!” Theo yelled when he shot up and sprinted across the shed to fall to his knees in front of her.  
“Maya! Listen to me!” You need to shift” We will work on your control but you need to shift” You hear me? Shift, Maya!”  
She whimpered. “No, no...” She repeated over and over again, so quiet Liam almost didn’t hear it over her pained groans and the rustling of the chains. His heart broke, he needed to help her.  
“Maya, shift!” It was n order but to no avail. She was still fighting it.  
“Shift, dammit! Shift!” 

His eyes flashed red and his fangs grew. “SHIFT!” He roared, voice booming through the shed and underlined with the typical Alpha roar he had heard from Scott and other Alpha’s several times. And the wolf in Maya responded: Her head snapped up to look at him, eyes glowing gold, and when she snarled, he could see fangs. The wolf had broken through and tugged at the chains, obviously wanting to break free. She growled and snapped, wriggling and moving and Liam slowly got to his feet. His fangs were still out and his eyes were still red and he glanced over his shoulder. Theo was right behind him, eyes gold, and together they looked down to Maya who still tried to free herself. 

After she had shifted, Maya didn’t try to break her bones again but she tried the whole night to break free. Only when the sun was slowly rising and the light was pink out there, she shifted back. “”Whoa, help me unchain her!” Liam said hastily and he and Theo worked to free her before he fell into his arms. 

“Thank you, Alpha.” She mumbled with a tired smile, drenched in sweat and still with a few broken bones but feeling better than ever. And then she fainted.

******  
Liam woke up to someone shaking his shoulder and he rolled onto his back and blinked. Maya’s face looming over him became clearer after a few moments. “Oh, hey.” He said and she raised her finger to her lips and pointed next to him. He tilted his head, Theo was still sleeping. 

They had brought Maya back to their apartment after she fainted and Liam had let her have his bed while he shared Theo’s bed with his roommate. They must have slept for quite a while when she was already awake again.

“How are you feeling?” Liam whispered and sat up. She shrugged but smiled. “Like I got hit by a truck but that’s better than feeling every bone in your bone rearranging themselves again.” She played with her fingers.  
“You forced the wolf out.”  
“I saw you in so much pain, I couldn’t sit there any longer. You don't deserve this, Maya. I am sorry if I crossed a line.”  
“No, it’s not that. It’s... I can feel it. The wolf. Closer than before. Like back then before I hurt my aunt and made the decision to block it. I think it will hurt anytime. I am scared what will happen if I lose control. But...I want to learn the control. From you and from Theo.”  
Liam smiled at her. “We will work on this together. All three of us.” He promised her and she smiled at him.  
“Thank you, Liam.”

“That’s all very heartwarming but if you two Care Bears don’t shut up now and go back to sleep, I will kill you both.” Theo suddenly muttered and both turned their attention towards him. He was still laying on his side, face pressed into the pillow and obviously not happy about having been woken up like that. Liam chuckled.

“He’s such a grump before he had his first coffee. Don’t listen to him!”  
Theo struck out and the back of his hand collided with Liam’s stomach without Theo even raising his head or opening his eyes. Liam gasped.  
“Fucking asshole!”  
“You deserved it!” Theo muttered and pulled the blanket higher.

******  
“Mason and Corey will get here sometime that evening. Theo has to work. Thank god I have at least somebody to keep me company.” Liam muttered and checked his phone. Maya next to him snorted and looked up from where she painted another protest sign.   
“You have a way of making somebody feel very special, you know that?”  
“You know your level of sarcasm has reached Theo’s?”  
“Aw, was that a compliment or a flirt?”  
“Sorry, Maya, you’re not my type.”  
And she could not stop herself. “Yeah, your type is male, hazel eyes, build like a freaking Adonis, smug smirk and stylish gelled brunette hair. Right?”

He threw a small pillow at her and her hand shot up to cat it before it touched the wet paint on her sign. They had trained her reflexes too over the last days. Since she had shifted on the full moon, Maya was still trying to gain control and she still had a lot to learn, but things like this made it a bit easier to train every day.

Now Liam decided to change the topic altogether. “Do you know a tattoo artist?”  
“For our kind? I actually do. You want a tattoo or someone else?”  
Liam nodded. It had been on his mind since he had first seen it and now felt like a good day to make it come reality. “Think he has time tonight?”  
“It’s a she and I’m pretty sure she has. I can come with you if you want.”

And that’s how Liam found himself in a small tattoo parlor in the university district half an hour later. Kiki, the tattoo artist, was a small woman with sparkly green eyes and she reminded Liam of one of the fairies in a Disney movie. She was peppy and laughed the whole time, joked around and Liam instantly liked her. 

“Okay, so you know what you want to get inked?” She got down to business and Liam nodded before pulling the drawing Theo made out of his jacket pocket. Kiki surveyed it. “It's beautiful.” She said with a smile. Maya looked over her shoulder. “Who drew this?”  
“Theo. Don’t tell him I said that, he keeps this part of himself rather private.”  
“Theo made this? That’s awesome.” Maya still looked at the drawing. “What kind of symbol is this?”  
“Every Alpha has their own symbol next to the pack symbol. That one is ours. Theo’s and mine. I’ll tell you the meaning later, okay?” Liam answered with a smile and she nodded. Kiki was preparing anything.   
“You know I have to burn it in your skin?”  
“Can’t say I’m ecstatic about that part but yeah I know.” Liam confirmed. 

******  
Liam looked at his forearm. The skin around the tattoo had already healed from the torch and yet he could still remember the pain when the tattoo had been burned into his skin and muscles. But it had been worth it. Seeing the howling wolf in front of the moon with their pack symbol in its fur, the black and grey lines of the tattoo a great contrast to his skin, were worth it. He was not sure how Theo would react but they were about to find out. 

“Ready?” Maya asked and Liam nodded, pulling his jacket over his arm again. He wanted the surprise to be perfect and so he would hide it as long as possible. He nodded and together they entered the bar where Theo, Corey, and Mason were already waiting for them. 

Liam looked around and spotted his friend and when they made their way towards the table, Mason jumped up and hugged Liam. Liam hugged him back, despite his arm still feeling a bit sensitive but this was his best friend, dammit. Corey received the same bear hug as Mason and then Liam introduced Maya. “Guys, that’s Maya, I told you about her.”  
Mays waved with a smile. “Hey, guys. Nice to meet you. I heard a lot about you already. Good things, of course.”

“Of course. I know Liam so I know that this is a lie.” Mason joked and they all laughed. Theo had also laughed by suddenly his nostrils flared and he jumped so fast to his feet, Corey almost had a heart attack.  
“Jesus, Theo!”  
Theo ignored him and he stared at Liam. “What did you do? Why are you hurt?”  
Liam smirked. “What are you talking about?”  
Theo growled. “Cut the crap, I smell the faint scent of blood and fire. The fuck did you do? Can’t I leave you alone for one hour without you getting into trouble?”  
But Liam didn’t budge and remained silent, just grinning at him, so Theo turned to Maya. “What did he do? You were with him the whole time! What did you guys do?”  
She didn’t reply either and he glared at Liam again. “You either tell me right now or I will strip you right here to find out myself!”  
“Did Theo just threatened Liam with relieving the sexual tension?” Mason asked and gasped when Corey’s elbow collided with his ribs. The second chimera was watching the exchange between Theo and Liam more than just fascinated. 

Liam kept his cool, shrugged and slowly took off his jacket. “You seem tense. maybe should get you a drink asap so you calm down.” He teased while doing so.  
“I swear, Liam, Alpha or not, I’ll kick your ass if you don’t tell me right now! And stop grinning so stupidly!”  
Liam tilted his head, still grinning. “Theo, calm down.” He said softly but Theo didn’t answer because Liam had taken off his jacket completely and he saw the tattoo on his best friend’s arm. Everybody else on the table too and Mason and Corey gasped in unison. 

“You didn’t!” Mason gasped out, eyes sparkling. 

“Should we be worried that Theo faints? Look, he’s gone so pale.”

Liam brushed his hand against Theo’s shoulder. “Hey, you okay?”

Theo grasped his arm, not too hard to hurt Liam. “This is inked. It’s on your skin. You have it burned into your skin.” He looked down at the tattoo before looking back at Liam. “This is permanent.” He said, voice thick with feelings. 

Liam chuckled. “I told you I wanted it on my skin. Our symbol, Dore.”

Theo swallowed and Liam knew him well enough to know his friend was fighting tears. Theo rarely cried but this was a moment he did. And then he threw his arms around Liam and pulled him into the tightest bear hug Liam ever received in his life. The young Alpha laughed and wrapped his arms around Theo too and for several moments the friends just hugged each other closely. Liam heard Theo swallowed dryly again and then the chimera hid his face in Liam’s neck, still fighting the tears.  It was an even better reaction than Liam imagined and he rubbed over Theo’s back. 

“Thank you for drawing this, Dore.”

Theo laughed. “Thank you for getting it inked.” He wiped his eyes and then finally let go of Liam so they could sit down when the waitress brought their drinks. Mason raised his glass. “To Liam’s new tattoo!”

They all raised their glasses and Liam smiled. “And to you visiting us. And to Maya being the first female member of the puppy pack!”

The all laughed and clinked their glasses together. Liam felt Theo wrapping one arm around his shoulder and pulling him close to press a kiss on his cheek, making Liam laugh. Right now he was absolutely happy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Liam has a look!^^  
> Maya has still a long way to go but she has her boys, her pack, they will manage it together. Thoughts on her? Oh and what do you say to Liam's surprise for Theo? :D


	8. Hunters and Wolfsbane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Attacks, injuries and a sickness, the pack faces some challenges this time.

Liam stepped out of his apartment building and inhaled the fresh air. Thanks to the constant rain since three days it had an earthy, rich scent and Liam loved it. He glanced at the grey sky and the still pouring rain but then shrugged. When he looked at the windows of his apartment, he saw Maya and Theo mockingly waving at him. His Betas were two little shits. Liam flicked them off before he started jogging.

It was a matter of minutes before he was soaked but he kept on running towards the park. His wolf had felt caged in, restless and in need of a good run. He couldn’t get sick anyway, so Liam saw no problem with going for a run. Maya and Theo had teased him for it when he left the apartment, but he ignored it. He wasn’t made out of sugar so he could run during rain, okay?

The park was deserted and Liam picked up his pace. He could run freely now, pay tribute to his wolf and his wolf yipped happily inside his chest because of it. It made Liam smile and he decided to go for a big round around the park. The water was pelting down, splashing on the lake in the middle of the park but Liam couldn’t care less. It felt good to have the rain on his skin, hear the various sounds all around, despite the park being empty. There was always something going on and Liam stopped under a big tree to inhale and just focus on listening.   
He heard the sound of the water dripping from the trees around him, heard the drops hitting the pavement and some cars on the wet streets. He heard the heartbeats of two squirrels in the tree above him and Liam smiled. And then he heard the swish of an arrow flying through the ait and he ducked last minute. The arrow hit the tree behind him and Liam’s eyes snapped open, looking at the attacker. 

Not far from him stood a hunter, crossbow pointed at him and snarling. “Hello, little wolf.” He said in a mocking voice and Liam growled. Another arrow was shot at him and he ducked again before running towards the hunter. The guy had severely underestimated Liam’s speed and gasped when Liam was suddenly there, gripping the crossbow tightly and turning the guy’s wrist so the crossbow was pointed skyward.   
“Bad idea!” He growled, fangs showing. “To attack me and to hunt alone!”  
The guy had the audacity to laugh. “Who said I was alone?”

In that moment a wire slung around Liam’s neck from behind and he was yanked back while someone pulled it tighter. He gasped and tried to get the wire off but it only pulled tighter around his neck and he struggled to breathe. The second hunter grinned down at him. “What now, little Beta? Scared?” He mocked and stared grinningly down at Liam who still struggled. The wire was so tight, he couldn’t even fit a claw between it and his neck to cut through it and it was hard to think when your air supply was cut off.  
A roar sounded up and the hunter strangling him was grabbed by his jacket. “Only I am allowed to call him that!” Theo snarled, eyes glowing gold, before hitting the hunter on the head and knocking him out. The wire around Liam’s neck loosened and he dropped to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. Theo was going after the first hunter, making sure he didn’t get to Liam, and Maya kneeled next to Liam. “You okay?”

Liam nodded and raised his head to look at her. “Yeah, just need some air. WATCH OUT!” A third hunter, female this time, had sneaked behind Maya, knife ready to attack her. With his warning, Maya was fast enough to swirl around and duck out of the way of the lethal attack. She grabbed the hunter’s arm and twisted it painfully. “No one touches my pack! No one, no one, no one!” She snarled, eyes glowing gold as well and fangs poking out. The hunter hit her in the face, making Maya let go of her arm and the two women fought. 

Liam had gathered his breath enough to get to his feet again. Maya was still fighting with the female hunter but aside from the knife, the woman was unarmed. Theo, on the other hand, had the guy with the crossbow and a gun on his belt, and Liam jumped forward, gripping the crossbow and throwing it away. They didn’t need anyone getting shot, even more since Liam had no idea if the arrows were poisoned or not.   
“I really don’t like hunters.” Theo next to him growled and Liam barked out a dry laugh, spun around and punched the guy straight in the face, breaking his nose.   
“I thought they were your favorite people to be around.” He replied sarcastically and narrowed his eyes at the hunter who tried to grab the gun from his belt but Theo grabbed his wrist and snatched the gun from his hands. 

Looking over his shoulder Liam made sure Maya was still okay. She was snarling, growling and hissing at the female hunter who had dropped the knife and Liam left the hunter to Theo in order to switch to his other Beta and pull her away. He twisted the hunter’s arm behind her back and pushed her against the tree. “I don’t know where you come from or who sent you but this is your chance to grab your fellow hunter buddies and bail out before it gets messy!” He hissed and when she kicked him, he retaliated with slamming her head against the tree and knocking her out. Turning around he managed to grab Maya by the waist who had been about to jump the hunter.  
“Calm down! Calm down! She’s out cold! Calm down, Maya!”

It was the missing control Maya had. Her wolf usually was just untamed and wild but when provoked, she became aggressive and didn’t know when to fully stop. They needed to work on that one, Liam made a mental note, when Maya accidentally hit him in the face in her haste to get to the woman. “Maya, calm down!” He flashed her eyes at her and she ducked, stopping to struggle in his hold. She snarled, wolf not liking that she couldn’t rip her apart, but she complied.  
Liam squeezed her shoulder. “It’s okay.” He told her. 

Theo stepped to them, the hunter he had fought with unconscious on the ground. His eyes were still blazing golden, fangs still out and he was breathing heavily but he was okay. Maya was okay too, aside from a large cut on her arm but that would heal. His Betas were okay, that was the most important thing.  
And then the hunter they had knocked out first moved again. The crossbow had landed close to him and he raised it. Liam saw him pointing it at Theo, saw the hunter pulling the trigger and the arrow flying from the crossbow. He pushed Theo aside and then an immense pain spread from his shoulder through his whole body.   
“Liam!” Maya next to him screamed when his hand flew up and closed around the shaft of the arrow sticking out of his shoulder. It made him nauseous and he had trouble following the events happening next. Theo roared, the hunter screamed and he heard fight sounds.

“Theo, don’t kill him!” Liam hissed out. They had to be better than the hunters. “Give them a warning but let them go!”  
He groaned in pain and had it not been for Maya steadying him, he would have fallen over. When he looked up, Theo had the guy grabbed by the collar of his shirt, clawed hand raised as if he wanted to clash his throat but he lowered it again. “You heard him. Leave!” He snarled and dropped the guy like a potato sack. They guy scattered away, fear written on his face, and then he gathered the female who helped him carry the third, still unconscious hunter, away.

Liam panted, feeling the blood seep from his injury. Theo was right next to him, steadying him from the other side. “Let's get you home.” He said and Liam just nodded weakly.   
The three of them made their way back to their apartment and Liam had never found the way longer than now. When they were finally inside the apartment and he sat on the closed toilet seat, he closed his eyes and leaned back for a moment, before he opened his eyes again and looked at the arrow still stuck in his shoulder. “If I scream too loud, you knock me out!” He ordered Theo and the chimera nodded. A clear sign he was worried about Liam being in too much pain when he didn’t even argue about this. 

Liam now closed his hand around the shaft of the arrow and took a deep breath. He didn’t feel poisoned, it had just been a normal arrow, but it was still deep inside his flesh and it hurt. So pulling it out made him grit his teeth and he dug his claws into the palm of his other hand to stop himself from screaming too much. Finally, the arrow was out and Liam dropped it to the floor before he closed his eyes and willed down the wave of nausea washing over him,  
He felt a pressure on his shoulder, somebody pressing a towel against the wound to stop it from bleeding. “That arrow was meant for me, you idiot.” Theo muttered into his ear and pulled him closer, letting Liam’s forehead rest against his shoulder. Liam chuckled tiredly. “Yeah, well, I’m not a big fan of Theo on a stick.”  
“Shut up.” Theo mumbled softly and proceeded to clean Liam’s wound as good as he could before patching it up. 

“It will take a few hours to heal, the arrow hit deep.” He stated and Liam nodded before raising his head. He looked at his Betas. “You’re okay, right?”  
They both nodded. “Yeah.” Maya said and smiled softly, before running a hand through her wet hair.  
“Maya, grab a towel from the rack and you too, Theo, you’re all wet.”  
“You’re wet too.” Theo commented and reached for two towels to hand Liam one.  
“Oh, well, yeah.” He had ignored this until now. 

Long story short, they had dried off and changed into dry clothes (luckily Maya had her gym bag with her and could change too) and now they were in the living room, talking about the attack.   
“Think it was Monroe?” Theo asked and Liam shook his head.  
“Actually? No. If they had been Monroe’s people, the arrows would have been coated with something. They take every chance to hurt us as much as possible. I think they were just three hunters who thought they could kill the Beta with anger issues and the chimera without a hitch. Hah, not a chance!”  
“Who is Monroe?” Maya asked from where she was curled on the other couch.   
“Monroe was the one hunter Gerard recruited. He was killed during the war but she ran. Bitch’s still out there, sending hunters our way because basically, this bitch thinks Scott did nothing to save her when everything in Beacon Hills was going down and now it’s her right to kill anyone of us. Did I forget something, Theo?”  
“She’s a bitch.” Theo added.  
“Oh yeah, forgot that. She’s the bitchiest bitch to ever bitch on this planet. Thanks to her I couldn’t take Latin as I wanted in high school.”  
“Uh, then she must be evil.” Maya muttered and Liam threw a pillow at her.

******

Liam stood shirtless in front of the mirror in his room and observed himself. He loved the rush of happiness he got every time he looked at his arm and saw the tattoo there. He loved it more and more with every passing day, he loved the happy smile Theo got on his face every time he saw it on Liam’s skin. Liam adored this look on his anchor.

But the main reason why he was staring at himself like this was to check if he saw any differences on himself. Any changes since he had become an Alpha but he found he still looked like Beta-Liam.  
“I always thought Alphas were bulkier, you know?” He said out loud when he felt Theo entering his room.  
“Scott isn’t what I would call bulky.” The older replied and stepped closer to Liam.  
“I only know Scott as Alpha, I can’t really compare.”

“Hm.” Theo tilted his head and watched Liam in the mirror. “How’s your shoulder?”  
Liam rubbed the healed skin. “It’s fine again, no worries.” He smiled at Theo and the chimera pulled him around so Liam was facing him, hands coming up to softly press in the patch of skin where the arrow had been. 

“Never push me out of the way ever again, okay?” Theo demanded and Liam smiled softly.  
“You know I won’t tell you that because both of us will save each other all the time. It’s what we do, Theo.”  
The twenty-one-year-old knew Liam was right but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Now his eyes flickered to Liam’s. They looked at each other for a few moments and the air was getting thicker, at least if you asked Liam. He cleared his throat and looked away, grabbing his shirt to put it on,  
“Want to grab a coffee?”

That’s how they found themselves at the campus’ coffee shop soon after. They had just gotten their order and were stirring it when they overheard a conversation.  
“There’s this crazy chick in front of the shop, telling people about the rainforest or whatever and handing out flyers. She’s hot but way too political.”

Theo and Liam shared a look and then looked out of the shop window. “That’s our crazy chick!” They said in unison. Leaving the shop they stepped to Maya. “Saving the world again?”  
She hissed and spun around, a finger pointed at Theo. “Never do that again!”  
Liam smirked and sipped his coffee. “Get used to it, he mostly moves without a sound and just appears.”  
“I certainly do n...Yes, I do.” Theo grinned proudly and Liam just raised an eyebrow and snickered. “Cute.”  
“Since you’re standing here, take a flyer!” She pressed one against Liam’s chest and he took it to read. “Aw, look, for every donation a tree is planted. I like trees.”  
“I swear, Liam, I’m all for saving the world but if you follow Maya’s example, I’m out. And I will only return to laugh at you and take pictures when you chain yourself to a tree.” Theo warned, not really meaning it. Maya and Liam gasped in mock indignation. “I am shocked at your disrespect!” She wailed, making Liam laugh.   
Theo grimaces in fake desperation. “What did I do to deserve the two of you?”

******  
“Remember my study friend who had a crush on Theo?”  
Liam made a sound to show he did remember but he didn’t look at Maya while he made himself (and her) some sandwiches.  
“She asked me, since I became friends with him, if I could arrange a date for the two of them. Are you okay with that?”  
Now Liam did look up. “Why are you asking me? Shouldn’t you be asking Theo if he wants to date your friend?”  
“Yeah, but I’m asking to check if it’s okay for you.” Maya explained and Liam looked at her with a confused expression,  
“Why would I don’t think it’s okay? Does she plan on eating him alive?” He joked at the end but he really didn’t get why she was asking him of all people.  
Maya rolled her eyes. “I think she hopes more on him eating her...”  
“ **Maya!** ”  
“Anyway, I’m asking because you and Theo....”

 _Oh._  
Now that made sense.  
“There’s no me and Theo.” Liam immediately declined.  
Maya snorted. “Right...Liam, seriously.”  
“Seriously, the is no me and Theo. Not in this regard. He’s one of my closest friends, he’s my anchor, I can’t live without him, but we are not _that_. And we will never be.”  
“Don’t say that!” You have no idea what can happen and do you see the way he...?”  
“Maya! The friendship Theo and I have is more important than anything else. I don’t want to lose him over a fling.”  
The smile she gave him was a pitiful one but also partly understanding and Liam decided to change the topic. 

“What about your control?”  
“It’s fickle. I try to let my wolf help me with easy things but I don’t know. It’s still hard to accept this part of me.”  
“What is the hardest part? Shifting partly? Or holding back the animal?”  
She thought about it. “I’m still afraid the shift hurts.” She then confessed.  
“Because you associate shifting with the blocking of the shift and the immense pain.” Liam concluded and she nodded biting her lower lip. 

“Okay. To your feet!”  
Maya followed and he maneuvered her until she was in the middle of the living room. “Close your eyes.” He instructed and moved the couch table aside. She stood there and waited for her Alpha to do whatever had come to his mind. Liam took a pillow and hit her arm.

“Did you just hit me with a pillow? Is this your new favorite hobby? Hitting Maya with pillows?”  
“Would you rather have me using my lacrosse stick?” Liam countered. “Ey, keep your eyes closed! No cheating here. Just try and block the hits with the pillow.”  
“How am I supposed to do that? And why?”  
“Let your wolf guide you. You hear more, you sense more if you two work together. I experienced this myself. So let your wolf guide you into blocking my hits. And the pillow doesn’t hurt you, so you lose the fear that mixing the wolf with your person hurts.”  
He rounded her and hit her back and her arm with the pillow. She growled but then turned around, trying to follow his voice. Liam grinned and changed his direction, hitting her leg. Her hand snapped towards it but she was too slow.

“I hate you!” She mumbled and Liam snickered. “No, you really don’t. Listen to my heartbeat, it tells you where I am.”  
It took a few more hits from him and a few more growls from her but when he aimed for her waist, her hands caught the pillow before it could touch her. Her eyes flew open and she looked at the pillow with a proud smile on her face. Liam beamed at her. “Good job!” He praised. “Come on, you can do that again!”

They trained for several hours until they curled on the couch, watched sitcoms and ate pizza. “Where’s Theo by the way?”  
“He meets with his study group to work on the group project they have.” Liam mumbled around his mouth full of pepperoni pizza he just chewed. He swallowed his bite and laughed about something happening on TV. It was nice to spend time with his Beta, relaxed and carefree.

But, as always, carefree didn’t last long. Liam checked his phone when he got a call from Theo. He answered immediately. “Hey, Theo!”  
But no one was speaking on the other end of the line, he just heard music and people murmuring. 

“Theo? Can you hear me?”

He would have guessed it was his friend just accidentally calling him but his gut feeling told him otherwise. Liam frowned. “Theo?? Answer me!!” He called louder but didn’t get an answer. He ended the call and looked at Maya. “Something’s wrong, I have a certain feeling.”  
“Okay, you want to get him? Where is he?”  
“I’ll show you.” Liam grabbed his keys and his jacket and together they made their way towards the dorm building Theo had met up with his study group. 

The minute they stepped into the building, Liam frowned. It seemed like there had been a party going on but everyone seemed kind of out of this world. They all seemed kind of drugged or whatever, sleepy and not noticing anything around them. Liam stopped and sniffed for Theo’s scent. He caught it but it had a wrong note to it, he couldn’t place what it was, and his heartbeat sounded slower than usual so Liam’s worry grew while he followed scent and heartbeat down the hallway. When he finally managed to track Theo down, he almost stumbled over his feet because he wanted to get to him that fast. 

Theo was slumped on a couch, eyes closed and a red solo cup in his hand. His cell phone was next to him on the couch, almost as if had slipped out of his grasp. Liam put it in his pocket then he looked at Theo. “Theo, wake up!” Liam said and grabbed his face to make Theo look at him. The chimera opened his eyes but they were glassy and unfocused like he didn't even notice Liam being there. “Theo, look at me!” But Liam’s plea fell on deaf ears. Theo was as gone as the others around him, and Liam pulled him to his feet. Maya steadied Theo too. “What’s wrong with him?”

Liam shrugged and slung one arm around Theo to hold him up but then his eyes fell on the red solo cup Theo had dropped. He picked it up and glanced inside. Inside the cup were flower petals and Liam’s eyes widened. That was wolfsbane! And when he glanced at the bowl of punch he saw several flowers swimming there. 

“Maya, the punch!” He alerted her and she followed his glance. Her eyes widened in shock. “They’re all poisoned!”  
Liam nodded grimly. “Time to get you out here!” He told Theo and dragged him out of the room. The chimera was barely conscious at this point, a dead weight at Liam’s side and Liam thanked his Alpha strength for the fact that he could keep him on his feet. 

“Make sure nobody can drink the punch anymore!” He ordered Maya and she left to pour the whole bow over the table. It would leave a stain but she didn’t care. Then she returned and helped Liam steady Theo.   
“We need to get him home. He reacts differently to wolfsbane than we do but it does affect him as well.”  
“Obviously.” Maya said after a look at the drugged up chimera. 

Theo almost collapsed and Liam pulled him closer. It was difficult to get Theo to move, he was stumbling and clearly not noticing anything around him. Liam pulled out his cell phone while he and Maya dragged Theo outside. 

“Yo, Liam.” Mason greeted after the phone rung three times.  
“I need your help! There was this party and the punch was laced with flowers of wolfsbane. Theo drank it too. Research everything about what effects it has on a chimera if he drinks it!”  
Mason was silent for a moment, then he uttered a curtly “I’ll call you when I find anything.” And hung up. Liam was grateful for his pack. When needed they worked together like a well-oiled machine. Theo groaned now and Liam glanced at him. “Stay awake, okay? Please, stay awake.”

Theo almost fell forward and Liam gritted his teeth. “Thank god, we’re almost home.” He gritted his teeth even more and was happy Maya helped him drag Theo towards their apartment. He felt Theo’s condition getting worse with every minute and he was more and more drifting away. This couldn’t be normal.

They stumbled into the apartment building and down the hallway and Liam let out a relieved sigh when they finally entered their apartment. He placed Theo on the couch and Theo fell sideways on the couch and stayed where he was. His heartbeat was still faint and way too slow for Liam’s liking.

He raised his phone again and called another number, putting it on speaker.  
“Liam, how’s my young Alpha?” Shana greeted cheerfully.  
“Shana, I need your help. Theo was at a party and somebody poisoned the punch with wolfsbane. He’s completely apathetic, Shana, can’t stand on his own and I doubt he knows we’re here. What do I do?”  
She was silent for a moment to take the situation in, then she replied in a calculated tone, intending to lead him through it. “Bring him into the bathroom, turn on the shower. Cold water helps to get him a bit more awake. I’ll wait.”

Liam handed his phone over to Maya, and then pulled Theo from the couch again. The older had his eyes closed again and Liam gently patted his cheek. “Theo, open your eyes!”  
Theo didn’t and Liam dragged him into the bathroom, followed by Maya. She stayed back while he dragged Theo into the shower and turned it on. Screw getting wet, he wanted to help Theo. He gasped at the cold water hitting his skin and soaking his clothes. He carefully seated Theo on the floor, leaning him against the cold ties. Theo was still completely apathetic, not moving or reacting at all, no matter how long the water pelted down on him or how cold it got.   
“Theo! Theo, please, I need you to wake up!” Liam pleaded and cupped his face. His voice was getting desperate.  
“Keep him under the cold water.” Shana said.  
“Keep in mind that he’s a chimera, Shana.” Liam cut in.   
“I know, Liam, but the water should help in any case.” He could hear her moving things around. “I’ll check my books meanwhile, maybe there is an antidote.”

So they waited. Liam had no idea how long, he just knew that at one point Theo’s head fell against his shoulder and he groaned. Maya had sat on the floor in front of the shower and perked up now, just like Liam inside the shower.   
“Hey! Theo? Can you hear me?”

Theo groaned again and Shana spoke up again. “He needs to get the wolfsbane out of his system. The faster, the better.” She said. Theo groaned once more and Liam made him look at him. His eyes seemed more focused now but he was still far away.  
“Help me get him up.” He told Maya and together they helped Theo out of the shower and onto the bathroom floor. Maya wrapped a fluffy white towel around Theo’s shoulders and Liam turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Theo groaned once more and Liam was really grateful for Maya’s fast reflexes. That way she was able to tip up the toilet set and push him forward before Theo threw up all over the floor. Now the chimera was right in front of the toilet and paid his tribute to the porcelain god. 

“Well, hopefully, he feels better after that.” Shana dryly commented and Liam hoped she was right. Getting it out of the system was logical and it seemed Theo was just doing that. It hurt to see him like that but if it helped, Liam would accept that. “Liam, do you have any juice?” The druid asked then.  
“Orange juice, why?”  
“Perfect. It can help the stomach to clean itself. Just have him drink a glass after he’s done.”  
Maya sprinted into the kitchen to get a glass of said juice and when she returned, Theo had stopped throwing up and was just leaning against Liam who had his arms wrapped around him and steadied him. The chimera’s head rested against Liam’s shoulder, too heavy to hold it high on his own, and Liam realized how pale his friend was.  
He took the glass from Maya and helped Theo down it in small sips before the older collapsed against him again. Liam carefully used the towel around Theo’s shoulder to dry him off as good as he could. “Is he allowed to fall asleep, Shana?” he asked.  
“Sleeping the remaining poison off is a good idea, yes. His body needs to regain the energy. Let him sleep. Tomorrow he will feel better.”  
“Okay,” Liam said and watched Theo close his eyes “No, not sleeping here! Hey! Just wait a few more minutes, Dore!”

Maya hastily helped him getting Theo to his feet again and together they brought him into his room. Undressing Theo and only letting him keep his boxers was the last difficulty and when Theo finally laid in bed Liam breathed out a relieved sigh. He watched the chimera closing his eyes and falling asleep, closely listening to Theo’s heartbeat. It was still slow but maybe because he was so tired right now. Theo looked young, incredibly young, and Liam only wanted his old Theo back. The strong one, the sarcastic one, the one who would rather die than let anybody hurt Liam. He could not see him hurt or sick. 

“Get changed.” Maya said softly and rubbed his back. “You’re shivering.”  
Liam had to admit she was right. His lips were turning slightly blue and he felt cold. With one last look at Theo, he left the room. He quickly changed into grey sweatpants, thick socks, and a navy hoodie and took a towel to dry his hair while walking back into Theo’s room. Maya leaned against Theo’s desk and watched the sleeping chimera.  
“Now what?” She asked.  
“We wait.” Liam said.  
“He will feel better tomorrow.” Shana added from the speaker.

******  
But Theo didn’t feel better in the morning. Quite contrary, now he was delirious with a high fever. He was whimpering and groaning and didn’t react to any words spoken to him. Shana and Mason were both informed about the newest development. “Maybe I underestimated him being a chimera.” Shana conceded and promised to call if she found any new information, just like Mason. And all Liam could do was wait.

He sat there and watched Theo, wiping his sweaty forehead with a cold washcloth. Maya had offered to take turns but Liam refused to leave Theo’s side. He trusted Maya, but this was his anchor, his Theo, and his anchor was sick. No way he would leave now. 

Theo’s condition got worse over the day, to the fever came shivering and coughing. Mason’s theory, and Shana supported that, was that Theo’s body coped with the poison but getting sick. Like a real heavy flu. It would probably last a few days but since there were no real experience reports from or about chimeras, it was all theory.  
Liam hated it. He hated not knowing what was going on and when Theo would get better. He didn’t leave Theo, calling on sick for Theo and him. There were news about the party that ended so disastrous and his teacher had asked if he had been there too. When Liam told her it had been his best friend, she just had said “Take good care of him.” and wished the best. Did Liam have great teachers? Yes, he did!

******  
The second day of Theo’s sickness, the fever dreams started. He tossed and turned, gasping and coughing in horror. They all seemed to haunt him, Tara the Dread Doctors, the dead members of the Chimera pack. Theo whimpered and mewled and Liam moved to his bed, wrapping his arms around Theo and quietly talking to him even though he knew Theo was currently not realizing he was there. The sheets were crumpled but Liam didn’t care at all, they could change them when Theo felt better again. 

“Hey, I’m right here.” Liam said softly and stroke over Theo’s cheek when the older man whimpered again. Theo subconsciously chased the touch and whimpered once more.  
“Liam...” He let out, almost non-audible, and Liam’s heart clenched. “I’m here, Dore.”  
“Liam...” Theo whimpered again. “Liam...Alpha...”  
Liam wrapped both arms around Theo, feeling how hot and sweaty his body was, but he didn’t care. He wanted to protect Theo from anything at this moment. 

Maya stepped in and Liam growled, eyes flashing red for a moment. Then he realized it was her and his posture relaxed, eyes returning back to blue. “Sorry.” He muttered but she shook her head.  
“It’s okay. You protect him. I understand.”

She put a sandwich next to Liam. “You need to eat, Liam. You’re rarely sleeping, you need to eat at least.”  
Liam knew she was right and he reluctantly let go of Theo to unwrap the sandwich and bite into it. “Thank you.” He said, munching on it. It felt good to eat something. Running on no sleep and therefore lots of coffee, worrying constantly and starving wasn’t a good combination, even for an Alpha. 

He spotted a bag next to Maya and nodded over to it. “What’s that?”  
“Oh.” She grabbed the bag and started to unpack it. “A friend of mine is very good with herbs. I told her what’s going on - don’t worry she knows about the supernatural - and she gave me some things. These here are some herbs we should add to a poultice and put on his forehead, it should help with his fever.” She put a small bag full of herbs on the bed. “And this here is a healing potion. All ingredients are herbs and she is positive it should help his natural healing, maybe even sped it up a bit. The thing is, she said Theo should drink it. I don’t think he’s able to do this in his current state.”  
“Then we wait until he’s a bit clearer in the head and can actually do more than just whimper and toss. Shouldn’t take that long, right?” Liam wanted, needed, to be optimistic but he felt himself forcing it. He was scared. 

Maya now tried a supportive smile. “He will get better soon, I’m sure.” She agreed, wanting to calm her Alpha.

But Theo took it upon himself to prove their hesitant optimism wrong in this very minute. Liam had just finished his sandwich when the chimera started shaking violently, the whole body reacting to the shivers running through it. “Oh fuck!” Liam called out and wrapped his arms around Theo again, trying to hold him still. Theo gasped out and it felt like he was burning up even more now, body still convulsing with the chills. His teeth chattered and it looked and sounded actually painful. Liam had his difficulties to hold him partway still, scared Theo would hurt himself if he didn’t.

“Maya, uncork the potion!” He snapped, Theo’s body only slowly stopping shaking so violently.   
“You want to pour the potion down his throat?” Maya was quick-witted and by Theo’s other side, potion in her hand. “I’m not sure, Liam!”  
“We have to! He’s a chimera, nobody knows what’s going to happen, okay? Theo is the first chimera and there were so many who didn’t survive. Nobody knows if he will get better after a few days or if he won’t. I can’t lose him, Maya, so if we have something that might help, I’m willing to try! I can’t risk letting him die!” Liam told her, tears glistening in his eyes, and she looked at him and then pressed her lips together while nodding.

“I’ll hold his head back and you pour it down his throat!” She suggested and Liam stopped holding Theo in order to grab the potion and uncork it. Maya steadied Theo and tilted his head back slightly so he would not choke on the liquid. Liam put the bottle against the chimera’s lips and slowly tipped it, letting the green liquid pour down Theo’s throat. 

When the last drop was gone, Maya slowly lowered Theo on the bed again and he continued sleeping peacefully. No violent shivers at the moment. His face twisted in distress and pain every once in a while and he whimpered but he wasn’s showing the heavy reaction from before. Liam set the empty bottle aside and wiped Theo’s forehead with his washcloth again. Maya took a fresh washcloth and started preparing it with the herbs she brought along.

“Thank you, Maya. For everything.” Liam said honestly.  
“We’re pack. You’re my friends, my family. It’s us wolves against the world. So, don’t mention it, you guys would do the same for me.”  
Her answer surprised him. “You consider Theo a wolf?”  
“Yeah. I don’t care if he’s technically a chimera or whatever. He could be partly frog and I would still consider him a wolf. My packmate. Hell, at this point you guys are basically my brothers and he’s like the older brother I always wanted. You’re like my brother in the same age, in case you were wondering.”  
Liam smiled weakly at this. “You’re part of my family too. Like Mason, Corey, Nolan, and Theo of course. And much more but you catch my drift. Like my sister.” He looked down on Theo. “I just hope it helps him.” The young Alpha stroke over his cheek. “I need you, Theo, you hear me? Don’t leave me!”

“He won’t leave you, we will save him.” Maya said and put the prepared washcloth on Theo’s forehead. 

******  
Day three and four of Theo’s illness were probably the worst. It had started usually, with shivers and still high fever and from time to time the violent chills would happen but then Theo would sleep again. When he woke up, he wasn’t really awake and Liam knew his friend still didn’t recognize his surroundings. He used those times to pour water down Theo’s throat so he would not dry out. Theo most fell unconscious soon after again and Liam wiped his forehead again, making sure he was as good as he could be under the given circumstances. 

But then it happened without any warning. Liam had sat next to Theo and read a bit for his classes to not completely miss out when Theo’s body convulsed again and arched up. Liam looked over, expecting Theo to have yet another chill attack, but this time his anchor’s eyes were open, blazing gold, and his fangs were out. 

“Theo?” Liam asked worriedly and the chimera roared and lunged. Liam shrieked when he was suddenly pressed against the headboard, a furious chimera snarling in his face, and Theo’s claws scratching over his arm Liam had raised to shield himself. It took one look into Theo’s glowing eyes for Liam to realize his friend was still not here with him, still caught up in his fever dream and Liam would take a wild guess and say Theo currently fought Dread Doctors or some other threat. He wasn’t attacking Liam. 

And yet it was Liam he was currently trying to attack and strangle. Maya stormed into the room right as Alpha and Beta wrestled and Liam’ eyes flashed. “THEO, STOP!” He roared in his Alpha’ voice and the first Beta whined but let go. He heaved and the collapsed on the mattress again. 

Liam jumped from the bed, hand pressed against the bleeding claw marks on his forearm, and stared wide-eyed at the unmoving chimera. His heart was beating rapidly inside his chest and Maya looked just as shocked as him.   
“If he ever asks, this never happened.” Liam clinched. “He never attacked me, he never hurt me.” He looked down on his arm. Theo’s claws had barely missed his tattoo, thank god. Maya looked unsure and seemed as if she wanted to say something, but then she nodded. “Okay.”

She looked back at Theo. “Hey, maybe this is a good sign.”  
“What?”  
“Well, the poison was meant to weaken the chimera, right? It would have killed Theo in the progress but you get what I mean.”  
“Yeah, so?” Liam didn’t get it.   
“If the chimera is already so strong again that he can shift and attack in his dream, maybe it means he’s getting better.”  
That made absolute sense and it gave Liam new hope. “That means all we need is to make sure he wakes up from his fever dreams. Maybe you’re right.”  
“I’ll go and ask my friend if she can make more of this potion. Maybe this can help him once more.” She announced and then left the apartment. 

And Liam was left to tend to his wounds. He used the washcloth to wipe the blood away and clean his wounds when there was a knock at the door. He frowned. Maya usually used the spare key he gave her but made his way over. He listened to the heartbeat, one. He took a deep breath and swung the door open.

“I expected my homecoming differently but when Mason and Corey messaged me and said Theo had been poisoned I just had to come here first. How is he? And what the hell happened to your arm?” Nolan asked, all in one breath.

Liam stared at him and then he huffed out a breath. “It’s so good to see you.” He pulled Nolan in a one-armed hug and then into the apartment, closing the door behind him. 

“So, to answer your questions. How is he?” Liam began while they both wandered back to Theo’s room so Liam could continue to survey him. “He shifted in his fever dream and attacked whoever he was facing. Maya and I think it’s a sign his chimera is getting stronger again and he’s getting better. And yes, that’s where the wounds come from. We don’t talk about this, okay? I don’t want him to know he hurt me.”  
Nolan nodded. “Whatever you say. But he got you good.”   
Liam looked down and pulled the washcloth away. Nolan was right, the cuts were deep. “It will heal.”  
Nolan took his arm and inspected the cuts and then the tattoo. “Mason told me you got a tattoo. It looks cool. But what is that?” He pointed at the pack symbol.  
“That’s our pack symbol. Nolan, what else did Mason and Corey tell you?”  
“Only that there were some things you should rather tell me. They wouldn’t give me any more information.”  
“Good, because some things have changed.” Liam looked at Nolan and let the red seep into his eyes. Nolan gaped at him.  
“Oh, wow, wow, wow, I’m leaving the country for one time and everything happens at once. How did that happen?”

And so Liam filled Nolan in on everything that had happened while he had been away. Nolan was speechless at the end and Liam ran a hand through his hair. He needed a haircut again.

“I asked Corey and Mason and now I’m asking you: Do you want to become a member of my pack? It’s up to you, no obligation to say -...”  
“Yes! Are you kidding? Of course, I want to be. Mason can’t be the only human in it, can he? So yeah, consider me part of the what was it?”  
“Morning Dew.”  
“Morning Dew pack. Consider me part of the Morning Dew Pack.”  
Liam smiled. “Thank you.”

******  
Theo’s condition really got better the next day, his fever wasn’t as high as it had been before and Liam was really happy. He still stayed with Theo the whole time, lounging on the side of his bed and using all his willpower not to fall asleep. Liam was exhausted after almost six days of not really sleeping, but he couldn’t sleep as long as Theo was still sick. So, for now, he would just lay there and sway between slumber and being awake.

Suddenly Theo moved again and it all happened so fastly Liam had barely time to react before the chimera towered over him, eyes glowing gold again and fangs bared. He had both hands pressed against Liam’s chest and kept him flat on the mattress and Liam gasped against the sudden pressure. His hands closed around Theo’s arms and he looked up. Theo looked more awake than all the days before even though he wasn’t completely there yet.

“Theo, it’s me! I’m Liam! I’m not gonna hurt you!” He tried to reason with the furious chimera. “It’s me, Dore, Liam.”

His soft voice seemed to finally break through, Theo blinked and suddenly the veil in front of his eyes cleared. He looked down at Liam and then gasped and scattered away, on the other side of the bed. “What happened?”

Liam sat up, ignoring the dull pain from the pressure Theo had put on his ribcage, and kept his voice calm. “What do you remember?  
“I was meeting with my study group and then there was this party. I felt strange all of sudden and called you and then...nothing. Did you bring me back home?” He looked around before focusing on Liam again.  
“Somebody poisoned the punch with wolfsbane. You were poisoned too, Theo. You got really, really sick from it. We all were worried.” There was no use in lying to Theo about this one.  
“How many hours was I out?” Theo asked him.  
Liam sighed. “Theo, you were out for almost six days.”   
Theo’s eyes widened in shock. “What?” 

Liam crawled closer to Theo and kneeled in front of him. “Hey, it’s okay. How are you feeling right now?”  
“My throat hurts. And I feel sweaty. And weak.” Theo replied.  
“Okay, here, drink something.” Liam grabbed a water bottle and opened it before he held it out for Theo. Theo took it and gulped down half of it in one go. Liam stroke through his hair when he was finished and leaned his forehead against Theo’s. “Thank god, you’re back.” He mumbled.

The door opened softly and Maya and Nolan peeked in. When they noticed Theo being awake they entered and Nolan waved shyly. “Hey, how are you feeling?”  
“I lost almost six days.” Theo stated dryly. Liam chuckled softly. “He’s getting better.” He added to Theo’s complaint. “He’s awake again, that's something.”  
Theo smiled weakly. “Can I take a shower?” He asked. Not that he was awake again, he wanted to feel fresh and clean again. Liam looked unsure but then he nodded. “Of course, just take it easy. Want something to eat?”  
Theo nodded. “Soup?” Liam inquired and Theo nodded again. With a smile Liam pressed a soft kiss on Theo’s forehead before shuffling out of the room with Nolan and Maya. 

He went on preparing the promised soup in the kitchen while he heard Theo shuffling around and trotting into the bathroom. “Now that he’s awake again, can we take care of you?” Nolan asked and Liam made a questioning sound. “You look like shit. Sleep is much needed for you.” The human clarified and Liam snorted.   
“I’ll sleep later.”

It took some minutes but after a while, Theo joined them. He had changed into a white t-shirt and some sweatpants and his hair was still damp from the shower.  
“How long have you been here?” He asked Nolan.   
“Just arrived yesterday.”  
“Okay. Did I miss anything else? Did something happen?”  
Liam, Maya, and Nolan shook their heads. “Nothing at all. Hey, we wanted to watch a movie, want to watch with us?” Maya asked and Theo nodded. The three moved into the living room while Liam stayed back and finished the soup.

He only joined them after it was done. Theo wolfed the soup down with great appetite and smiled gratefully at Liam who sat down next to him. Liam smiled back and leaned against the couch and Theo. Being around his friend again, knowing Theo was okay again, still a bit weakened but on the way of getting back to full health, was everything he needed right now and he tried to follow the events happening in the movie but after a while, his eyes closed and his head dropped to the side. The exhaustion had finally caught up with him and the young Alpha had fallen asleep, now that his anchor was awake again.

Theo looked at Liam. “He stayed awake the whole time and watched over me, huh?”  
“Yeah, no matter what we said, he wouldn’t move and rarely slept long.” Maya confirmed and Theo sighed.  
“Always so protective.”  
Nolan snickered. “Please. When it comes to protecting each other neither of you is better than the other. You would have done the same for him.”  
“True.” Theo admitted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liam can't live with Theo, that is clear. Good thing Theo didn't die, right? Just imagined what would have happened if he did. Hell would have broken loose, I can tell you. But hey, Nolan's here!  
> Anyway, thoughts? Ideas? Wishes?


	9. Welcome to Alphahood!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam thinks he needs to be stronger, wiser, a better Alpha. But does he?

Liam tilted his head back and let the water from the shower run over him. He had his eyes closed and listened to the sound of the rushing water. He was exhausted but he could not unwind. His thoughts were running a mile per hour and he replayed the encounter he had with Theo a few days ago over and over inside his head:

_“Can I ask you something?” Liam asked and looked up from where he was cutting tomatoes for dinner. Theo sat at the kitchen counter, laptop in front of him, and typed his homework._

_“How did you not notice the wolfsbane in your punch?”  
_

_Theo’s finger stilled mid-typing and he looked at the screen before he sighed and finally looked up, hands dropping on the keyboard. “_ _I don’t know. I met with my study group and suddenly more and more people gathered and I was in the middle of the party when a girl from my study group handed me the cup with punch. It felt…normal. I was normal for one evening, you know, and I guess I decided to not look over my shoulder all the time and be not on alert for one night. I paid for it in the end, I know it was reckless.“_

_“You are twenty-one, you are allowed to be reckless.“_

Because it was Liam's job to make sure his Betas could be reckless. It was his job to protect them and make sure they don‘t have to constantly worry and be as careless as they could be. Because the main weight should last on his shoulders. Looks like he failed at this and Theo had paid for Liam slacking off.

And since their talk, Liam had not been able to shake the thought. He stressed himself to be better, wiser, stronger, because he obviously wasn‘t a good Alpha. Theo almost died because of him. It caused Liam to stress and he spent almost his whole time either over his books or in the gym. When he wasn‘t doing one of those things, he tried to make his Betas‘ lives easier; by helping Maya with her control or organizing some things for her many protests, Theo with taking over when it was the chimera’s turn to go grocery shopping so he could focus on his assignments and classes or buying his favorite candy. He even tried helping Nolan, who had mentioned he wanted to move to Seattle, find a decent place. His Betas seemed happy but Liam still felt like it wasn‘t good enough, like he needed to do more to ensure they could live without worries.  
It took a lot of Liam’s own happiness, but he figured that was the price he had to pay in order for his pack to be safe. Welcome to Alphahood!

Liam sighed and bowed his head, both hands pressed against the shower wall and let the water wash over him. Maybe he took too much on his plate with taking over from Byron; maybe he wasn‘t as good of an Alpha as he thought he could be. Maybe all his fears and doubts were coming true and he was failing spectacularly.  
He sighed again and pushed himself off the wall, turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. He dried himself off and then wandered into his room where he got dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie. He dried his hair with the towel and then left it hanging over his desk chair before crawling into bed and pulling the covers over his head. It wasn’t like he needed to socialize with anybody. Maya was busy with saving the rainforest and Theo…Theo was having a _date_.

He had actually agreed to go on a date with Maya’s friend an Liam officially hit rock bottom. Don‘t get him wrong, he was happy for Theo and he wished his friend somebody who understood him and made him happy and really knew how amazing Theo was, but he felt lonely. Which made him aware how selfish he was because since he was lonely didn’t mean Theo had to be too. Cue yet another wave of bad thoughts and you had a vicious circle. He felt like a bad friend, like a bad Alpha, and he hated himself for pitying himself.

So hiding under the covers may be childish but Liam needed it to turn the world off for a while. Not seeing anything, not hearing anything, just him under his covers. Alone with his thoughts. They were already mauling him late at night, fucking up his sleep schedule cause he could not turn them off, no matter how hard he tried. God, he was so pathetic!

Various beeping sounds from his laptop made him groan. He didn‘t want to talk to anybody right now! But his laptop continued beeping quite enthusiastically and Liam groaned once more before pulling the covers back and rolling out of bed. He tapped over to at least see who was video calling him and hesitated when he saw Byron‘s name on the screen. Every other would have gotten declined, even Mason right now, but something inside Liam made him unable to decline the call from the former Alpha. So he slipped into his desk chair and tried a smile before accepting the call.

“Hey, Byron.“  
“Liam, how are you doing?“ Byron smiled warmly at the camera. Liam always got reminded of his grandfather when he saw Byron. His grandfather had died a few years ago, so the comparison was bittersweet but he had been just as gentle and wise as Byron.  
“College’s good.“ It really was. The hours he spent over his books were really paying off, one of the few positive things he got out oft he while self-doubt thing. “But something tells me you didn‘t call for small talk.“

Byron shook his head. His image may be a bit pixeled but even like this Liam saw the slight frown on his face. “I called because I wanted to know how you are doing. How life as an Alpha has been treating you. And from what I can see now, I would say you already reached the self-doubt stage.“  
“The what stage?“  
“Self-doubt. See, Liam, every Alpha before you went through the same stages after becoming the Alpha. And we all ended at the self-doubt stage sooner or later. Before you ask, the bags under your eyes give you away. Sleeping is hard when your thoughts run even wilder at night.“

Liam gulped. He had not expected that. “Oh.“ He said very eloquently.  
“Liam, how far have you come in reading the journal I gave you?“  
“Not far. So much happened and I didn‘t find the time.“  
“If you read it, you will see every Alpha has reached this stage and you will see how every Alpha dealt with it in their own way.“

The nineteen-year-old stayed silent for a moment, looking away from the screen. “How did you cope with it?“ He asked after a while and looked back at the camera.  
“By talking. Liam, tell your Betas what’s going on inside your head. An Alpha is much stronger if they accept their weaknesses and be open about it than an Alpha who acts like they are invincible. A pack is a partnership, let your Betas help you.“  
“You mean like you do right now?“  
“Am I helping you right now?“  
Liam raised his shoulders in a helpless gesture. “I’m not sure anybody can help me right now. I feel like nothing I do is good enough. Theo told me he didn’t notice the wolfsbane in his drink because he was too busy being normal and it almost killed him. If I had been a better Alpha he could have been normal and not almost die. It‘s my fault, you know?“  
“Liam.“ Byron said gently and yet firmly. “The only way it would have been your fault would have been if you threw the flowers into the punch and made Theo drink it. Did you do that, Liam?“  
“Of course not.“  
“Then it is not your fault!“

The rational part of his brain knew that. But the protective part of himself and the part that cared deeply about the older said it was his fault anyway. Byron seemed to notice that Liam was still blaming himself.  
“Liam, where do your parents live?“  
“Beacon Hills, why?“  
“Do you think they are good parents?“  
“Of course they are. They are the best.“  
“But they aren't here with you. How can they be good parents if they are not around you?“  
“Because I am my own person and I can look after myself to some extent. I have my own life and they have theirs.“  
“And that’s the same case with your Betas. You cannot monitor all of us constantly. It would drive you insane. You need to protect when they need protection, when they asked for it, but cannot keep everything from them. They need to make their own experiences, need to make their own mistakes. I know you are worried, but that can’t keep you from letting them out of your sight every now and then and from you living your own life. If you don’t allow your Betas to go out and live their own lives, they will grow to hate you, believe me in this.“

Byron smiled sadly. “You are not a bad Alpha just because Theo almost died. You weren’t even there to begin with. But you worrying so much about your pack, to the extent of you stopping to enjoy your own life – and don‘t lie I see how pale you look – proofs how much of a good Alpha you are. Maybe too good because you need to stop being so hard on yourself. I know how much it shakes you up when the most important person in your life gets hurt but he’s okay now, Liam.“  
“And what about them not having to worry? They deserve to be normal.“  
“We all have to worry but tell you what, young Alpha, the older you get the more it becomes something you do without thinking about it. A look into your cup, a glance over your shoulder, it becomes natural and the fear which you feel so prominent right now fades away. There is a difference between being scared and being cautious, you will learn this over time.“

He poked the camera. “And you, son, need to lighten up. I like the smiley Liam way more than the brooding one, we all do. If I tell Valentina you’re not happy, she will send you a big care package full of pie and other baked goods and Bernie will probably send you a video with the funniest pictures he can find. All to make you laugh again. And my dear wife will probably drive to you just so she can hug you.“  
Liam had to chuckle at that. “It’s hard to smile when you think you’re a failure.“  
Byron‘s look turned solemn. “You are not a failure, Liam. Far from it. You’re just at the beginning of a very intense but also eventful journey. And you are about to become one of the best Alphas this pack ever had.“  
It filled Liam’s heart with warmth to hear that and he smiled softly. “Really?“  
“Given how most Alphas have their breakdown way later, yeah.“

It was for the first time in weeks that Liam laughed loudly. He could not help himself. “So what now, Byron? What should I do?“  
“Talk to your Betas. The two close to you. Tell them everything and then figure a way to feel better. To cope with the stress. You already have enough on your shoulders, don’t add more to it. Let them help carry the weight. It’s what they here for. Not just to take orders.“  
Liam sighed. “They are both busy. Maya does god knows what and Theo has a date.“  
“A date?“  
“Yeah. You know, a meeting between two persons who intend to maybe have a romantic relationship with each other afterward.“  
“I know what a date is. I’m just confused why you are here and he’s not. I wasn‘t aware he had eyes for somebody else than you.”  
“Theo and I aren’t in a relationship!“  
“Yet.“  
“What?“  
“Nothing, nothing.“ Byron hurried to say but he smirked and Liam sighed. Why was everybody thinking like that about him and Theo? He would not risk their friendship for a little bit of fun. Theo didn’t saw him like that.

“Call them later but you should call them and have the talk with them. You deserve to feel good too, Liam.“ Byron told him now and he nodded.  
“Thank you, Byron.“  
“Anytime, young Alpha.“ He smiled at the camera and Liam returned the smile.

******  
Liam stepped into the campus café and looked at the crowd gathered there. He spotted Maya and surprisingly Theo too in a booth and after he had given up and received his order, he made a beeline for them and slipped next to Theo. “Hey.“ He greeted.

“Hey.“ Maya smiled at him and Theo turned his head to smile too but then frowned at Liam‘s choice of drink. Instead of his usual coffee, Liam had ordered himself a hot chocolate. He was already sleeping badly enough, he didn’t need more caffeine to keep him awake.  
“Why are you here? What about your date?“ Liam ignored Theo’s frown.  
“She was nice but we decided there is nothing between us. We can talk about a lot of things but we are completely platonic.“ Theo replied with a shrug. “Hot chocolate, really?“  
“Leave my drink alone!“ Liam mumbled and stirred his drink. He could not lie, he wasn’t too sad about Theo not falling in love with the girl. Single Theo was Liam‘s favorite Theo, to be honest. “But you’re okay after your date? No hard feelings?“  
“Hell no. Like I said, she was nice, there simply wasn’t a spark. I’m okay.“  
“You, Maya? You’re okay too?“  
“I’m fine, really.“ She confirmed and then slightly narrowed her brown eyes. “What about you, Liam?“

Liam still stirred his hot chocolate but then he looked up. “I’m not.“ He confessed and it really felt better to just admit than try to hide it. Maya looked stunned he just confessed like that and Theo immediately snapped to attention.   
“Why? What happened? Are you hurt?”  
“I’m not hurt.” Liam began and looked at Theo. “And what happened. You almost died. That’s what happened.”  
Theo looked surprised at this. “That was weeks ago.” He finally said.   
“Yeah and remember the talk we had? About why you didn’t notice the wolfsbane? You said you wanted to be normal and well, it got me thinking that you suffered because I didn’t protect you enough. That I wasn’t a good Alpha and almost lost you because I slacked off. So I need to get wiser, stronger, _better.”  
_ “That’s why you suddenly spent so much time in the library or the gym. Oh, Liam.” Maya said sympathetically. 

Theo stared at Liam, mouth agape, and then he raised his hand in a _Hold up_ gesture. “How did you make the connection with me almost dying because I got poisoned by you not being a good Alpha? That’s so far off.”  
“Is it? I didn’t keep you from drinking it.”  
“You weren’t even there! But you came when I called you. You followed the feeling something wasn’t right. That’s what makes a good Alpha.”  
“I don’t want you to stop being normal and constantly worry. That’s my job.”  
“I am not normal!” Theo cut in. “Neither of us is.”  
“Okay, I want you to _feel_ normal.”  
“I do feel normal. When I’m around you guys, around my friends.We all are not normal but that’s what makes us normal.”

“Theo’s right, Liam. We can never be normal but as long as we are together that doesn’t matter. And we all have to be a bit cautious but you are a great Alpha. Look what you already did: You helped me free my wolf and you work with me on accepting it more and more every day. I would have not survived the next full moon without you.” Maya smiled warmly at him and reached over to squeeze his arm. Liam sipped his chocolate.   
“I know.” He said. “It’s just, I worry about you and I want you to be happy.”  
“We are happy, Liam, but only if you are happy too. And you’re not, right? You don’t look happy.” Maya was indeed a good observer. 

Liam continued sipping his hot chocolate and groaned. He put his mug down and rubbed his eyes. “No. I put myself under so much pressure and today Byron called and told me to talk to you and confess what’s going on. Because I can’t go on like this. I’m sorry if that makes me pathetic.”   
“It doesn’t. Stop making yourself look small.” Theo muttered. “You have a heart of gold and that’s what makes you care so much. Too much sometimes, that has always been the case.” Theo said and smiled softly, arm winding around Liam’s shoulder to pull him against his body. “But you tend to care so much, you put your own needs behind to the point it doesn’t work anymore. Alpha or not, you’re still human, Liam. You need to take care of you.”

“You sound like Byron.” Liam muttered, not really being mad.   
“And you should listen to us. We’re older and wiser.“  
Liam snorted into his hot chocolate. “Byron’s wise, yeah. But you? Nah, not so sure about that one.“  
Theo made an offended sound and Liam grinned. The door opened and a new group of guests stepped in and thus the noise increased to the point where it actually became a nuisance. Liam grimaced and got to his feet.  
“Let’s go somewhere else.“

Maya got up too but then stepped forward and hugged Liam. He made a surprised sound but then he returned the hug with a smile. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, Alpha.“ She muttered.  
“If you think I will take part in this, you’re sorely mistaken. I don‘t do group hugs.“ Theo sarcastically muttered when he also got to his feet but Maya grabbed him by his jacket and resolutely pulled him into their little hug. Theo huffed.  
“Okay, fine, but that’s the only time!“ He clinched and then wrapped his arms around Maya and Liam who in turn both wrapped one arm around him too. And Liam felt already better than the last few weeks. Talking with his Betas and telling him about his troubles had been the right decision and exactly what he needed, Byron had been right.

******  
Liam had just put a batch of cupcakes into the oven when the door to their apartment opened and Theo and Maya stepped in. Both stopped dead in their tracks and stared at what had once been the kitchen and was now littered with several baked goods and baking utensils. The young Alpha looked up and smiled at his Betas. “Hey.“  
“No.“ Theo replied. “What‘s going on? I thought you felt better after the talk we had.“  
“What‘s the matter?“ Maya asked, seemingly more surprised about Theo’s reaction than the fact Liam turned the kitchen into a bakery.  
“He _bakes_.“ Theo hissed. “Liam is a stress baker. He only does it when something’s bothering him and he has tried everything else and failed.“  
“Well, that’s not true. I rarely bake but I don’t just do it when I’m stressed. I was just bored, watched The Food Network and got in the mood to bake. I’m still a bit stressed, yeah, but the talk with you helped.“

“Anyway, there’s pie and cookies and cupcakes.“ Maya rejoiced and made herself some space on one oft he counters before jumping on it. “Can I try?“ She asked and when Liam nodded, she grabbed herself a blueberry cupcake and bit into it. “Oh my god, those are amazing. Liam, I wasn‘t aware you were that good at baking!“  
Liam blushed and rubbed his cheek. “I’m decent. Sometimes I like to do it, that’s it. But glad you like it.“  
“You now have flour on your face.“ Theo remarked and grabbed the kitchen towel to softly clean Liam‘s cheek. Maya was still happily wolfing down her cupcake.

“Seriously, Liam, can I marry you? You would be my perfect partner.“  
Liam smirked. “Okay. I want a September wedding.“  
“Oh, I’d love that. Just a small wedding, just closest friends and family.“  
“And no church but maybe getting married in a barn or a garden.“  
“Wow, Liam, didn’t pick you for such a romantic guy. I’m game!“  
Theo looked at them. “This is not even remotely funny.“ He scoffed.  
Maya glanced over. “Jealous?“ She asked cheekily and Theo growled at her. She simply chuckled and stuck out her tongue at him. He growled again and Liam nudged him.  
“Be nice to my future wife.“ He joked and Theo rolled his eyes.  
“Stop talking about your wedding!“

He opened his bag and pulled out a large envelope. “This was in the mail for you by the way.“ He told Liam and put the brown thing on the counter. Liam looked at the envelope, then at his hands. “Be right back.“ He said and walked towards the bathroom to properly wash his hands.  
While he was gone, Maya nudged Theo. “You know, if you really don’t want me or anybody else marrying him, you should make the first move.“  
“I have no idea what you‘re talking about.“ Theo muttered stubbornly and bit into a chocolate chip cookie.

Liam came back and then grabbed the envelope. The paper was brown but there were colorful forms drawn on it. “It’s from Byron.“ He said and carefully opened the letter. The envelope was too pretty to rip it apart.  
Upon opening, a letter and something wrapped inside several layers of paper fell out. Liam took the letter, unfolded it and started to read.

**_Dear Liam,_ **

**_don‘t be so hard on yourself, young Alpha. You’re just starting your life as Alpha, you don‘t have to be perfect. You will never be perfect, none of us were. But if your Betas are loyal to you and if your Betas say you are a good Alpha, then you’re doing a great job.  
_ ** **_And just because you don’t have the answers now, doesn’t mean you will never have them. A few years down the road, I can promise you, you will see things differently because you learned new things and things changed and you have a whole new outlook on life. Read this letter again then, think about how you felt now, you will see the little breakdown was an important lesson._ **

****_Liam, I am not going to lie: Being an Alpha isn’t easy. You already learned this and there will be even more challenges coming your way. But your heart is good and that’s an almost hundred percent guarantee you will make good decisions. Will they always be right? No. Will everybody always understand why you decided the way you did? No. But as long as you can look your reflection in the eye, that’s all that’s matters.  
_ **_Your pack is strong and we here are all very proud of you. And the Betas you have with you are proud of you too, I know that for a fact. Maya, even though I never met her, seems like the perfect addition to you and Theo. You helped her with her wolf, you’re still helping her, and that’s what bonds Alpha and Beta. And Theo? It takes only one look to see how loyal he really is to you and how proud of you he is. Your first Beta would walk through the fire for you and I know you know that, Liam.  
_ ** ****_Me? You know I don‘t have children on my own and I know we are not related but I always wanted a son or grandson like you. I am proud of what you already achieved and I can’t wait to see what you will achieve in the years of your Alpha reign. I want to give you something I got from my Alpha when I took over. It should remind you of how proud you can be of what you are, who you are, and what you already accomplished. It‘s up to you what you do with it. Keep it to yourself or gift it to a Beta who you think could use a little reminder too._

**_I want to finish by saying again: You don‘t have to be perfect. You just have to be there. And that‘s what you‘re currently doing, so keep on doing it. You’re doing well, son._ **

**_You can always call, even late at night, when you are in need of guidance. Lana sends her regards too, as well as Shana and the rest. Bernie wants to know if Theo is still interested in wood carving._ **

**_Best wishes_ **

**_Byron_ **

**_P.S.: I may be a bit too old to be your dad, but I know you had a great relationship with your grandfather until he died and you miss him dearly. I don’t want to replace him, but you can call me Gramps anytime._ **

Theo stepped closer to him and gently stroke over Liam‘s back. “You okay?“ He asked softly and Liam raised his head and nodded. “Are you still interested in wood carving? Byron asks for Bernie.“ He then asked and Theo chuckled. “Yeah, sure. Why not?“ He tilted his head. “Everything else okay?“  
Liam handed him the letter before he carefully unwrapped what Byron had sent with his letter. Once he was done, a small wooden figure of a wolf appeared. The dark brown wood had been polished to shine and Liam loved it from the very first moment. It felt warm in his hands and he turned it to inspect it from every angle. It was clearly handmade and he would hold it dear.  
“That’s pretty.“ Maya said in adoration.

Theo had finished reading and kissed Liam’s cheek. “He’s right. I would do that for you, Lee.“  
“I know you would.“ Liam said and held the little wolf up. “Look what he gave me. Isn’t this the coolest thing ever?“  
“It is pretty cool.“ Theo confirmed with a smile.

******  
“Were you serious about what you said to Maya?“  
Liam and Theo were lounging on the couch in the living room, Theo was watching TV, Liam was reading the Alpha’s journal when Theo’s thoughtful voice sounded up. Liam looked up and frowned. “Serious about what?“  
“When you joked about your wedding. I get you were joking but when you said you wanted a September wedding. Was that serious? And getting married in a barn or garden?“  
Liam had actually never considered this before. It had been a joke back then, so now he shrugged. “I think when I’m getting married to the love of my life I wouldn’t care about the month. And yes, I don‘t want to get married in a church because I’m not that much of a Christ but it doesn‘t have to be a barn either.“  
“But you want to get married?“  
“To the right person, yeah.“ Liam watched Theo. “Don‘t you want to get married one day?“  
Theo huffed out a laugh. “Since I don’t think any person wants to spend the rest of their life with me, no.“  
“Hey, don‘t say that. One day you will find the right person.“  
“Liam, I am terrible to be with. And also terrible on my own.“  
“Well, then you find another person who is just as terrible. Who is willing to spend the rest of their life with you. I mean, you got me to live with you. That’s an accomplishment, right?“  
“Nobody is more terrible than you.“ Theo retorted dryly.  
“Aw, was that a declaration of love Theo Raeken style?“ Liam teased. Theo shoved him off the couch for that.  
“Asshole!“ Liam muttered but stayed on the floor, leaned against the couch and continued reading.

******  
Liam laid in bed and watched the moonlight dancing over the wooden wolf on his nightstand. He still loved the little figure and watching it was nice but it didn‘t change the fact that he was wide awake in the middle of the night and he didn‘t know why. He had reduced his stress level again, yet he still felt responsible but he knew his Betas could look after their own, so he saw no reason for him to lie awake at night. But he did and after a while, he sighed and got up.

He wandered into the kitchen where he met his roommate sitting on the kitchen counter, a big pot of stracciatella ice cream in hand and eating it. He looked up when Liam entered. “Trouble sleeping?“  
Liam nodded. “Yeah, and I have no idea why.“ He grabbed himself a spoon and hopped next to Theo on the counter to dig his spoon into the ice cream too and taste it too. “What about you?“ He asked around the mouthful of ice cream.  
“You know my fucked up sleep schedule. Ice cream doesn’t help at all but it’s tasty.“ Theo grinned and dug his spoon into the ice cream again too. The two friends sat for a while and shared the frozen good until Liam spoke up again:

“When we were little, Mason and I used to create new dished in the kitchen. Once we made Rice Krispies with chocolate flakes or pancakes with gummy bears. Not everything was delicious but for two kids it was amazing. And the Rice Krispies were actually tasty. It’s something Mason always requires when he gets sick. Childhood memories and such. Makes him feel better.“  
“I don‘t see why, it really doesn’t sound that delicious.“ Theo mumbled and Liam rammed his elbow into the chimera’s side. Theo gasped and glared at Liam who grinned innocently. “Your death glare lost its heat years ago.“ He told the older and Theo scoffed.  
“I can still tickle you.“  
“Don‘t you even dare, Theodore!“  
“That doesn’t work on me, Liam…Dunbar! I hate that you don‘t have a middle name!“

Liam smirked. “I’m sure you will think of something else to call me.“  
“Right, puppy.“  
“See? I knew it.“ He nudged his knee against Theo’s. “Want to play video games, since we’re both awake?“  
“Sure. Sleep is for the weak.“

******  
Liam woke up because he heard the faint sound of his alarm clock. He groaned and then he heard a car honking and he was even more awake now. He blinked and looked around. That wasn’t his room by any means and the more he got awake, the more he realized he was indeed lying on the couch in their living room. The TV was still on, portraying the menu of the last game they played. Obviously, they had fallen asleep somewhere between ending a round and wanting to start a new one. And when he looked for Theo, he found the older man right behind him, still asleep, and one arm tossed over Liam‘s waist. They had ended spooning on the couch, otherwise, one (Liam since he was laying on the edge) would have fallen off. Liam had to admit to himself, it was nice waking up in Theo‘s arms like this.  
“Theo, we have to get up.“ He mumbled and gently shook Theo’s shoulder. “Time to go to our classes.“

Theo groaned and hid his face in the couch pillow which looked awfully adorable in the early morning light. Liam smiled and stroke through Theo’s hair.  
“Don‘t pet me.“ The chimera muttered and Liam chuckled.  
“And you say I’m the puppy. You look like a little sleepy puppy right now, T.“  
“I do not.“ Theo mumbled and opened his eyes. He tried to glare at Liam but he was still too sleepy for that to really have an effect. So Liam stroke through his hair one more time and then got up to trot into the shower.

Maybe staying up for several hours and playing video games had not been the best idea but not it was too late for that epiphany. So he showered colder than usual, got dressed and then brushed past Theo who walked into the bathroom, to make coffee in the kitchen. Extra strong for both of them and Theo gratefully accepted the cup when he was finally ready and walked into the kitchen too. Quietly they sipped their coffee and had breakfast before it was time to walk to their classes.

******  
Liam stifled a yawn when he walked down the stairs in the main building. It was after his last class of the day, he was free to do whatever he pleased. Nice that it was Friday today. He loved Fridays.

An angry hiss down the corridor made him look up and he spotted one of the teachers and a blonde girl in front of her arguing. Thanks to his enhanced senses he didn’t need to get closer to hear what was going on.  
“You can’t give me a bad grade on this! It’s not fair!” The student complained.   
“You didn’t fulfill the assignment! What am I supposed to do? I can’t give you a good grade because you worked hard!” The teacher replied coldly.   
“You just don’t like me, that’s it! Come on, don’t do this to me!”  
“Your essay was off topic, that’s how the grade happened.” The teacher left her standing there and she crumbled her essay in her hand.  
“I worked my ass off for this and you’re giving me a bad grade! If my GPA is ruined, it’s your fault!” She yelled at the teacher and suddenly Liam had a flashback from years before:

_“Dunbar, that’s it, I’m benching you!”_  
_“You can’t bench me, I’m your best player!”_  
_“Not if you are that aggressive and fly off the handle at any given opportunity. I’m sorry, Liam, you don’t take part in the next game!”  
_ _“You will regret this, you hear me! We will lose the game and it will be your fault. IT WILL BE YOUR FAULT!!!”_

Liam shook his head to get rid of the unwanted memory. He focused on the girl instead who was still fuming and now spun around to storm down the hallway. When she brushed past him, Liam took hold of her arm. “Hey, do you need help?”  
She yanked her arm free. “Don’t touch me! I don’t need help!” She hissed and then stormed further down the hallway. Liam stared after her, mouth agape. Her chemosignals were basically blinking with rage. That girl was furious.

“Hey, do you know who that was?” He asked a girl passing by. She looked in the direction the blonde had stormed off. “I think her name is Sandra or Sally...Sadie. Her name is Sadie.”  
“Sadie O’Mara.” Another girl passing by supplied and Liam nodded.   
“Okay, thanks.” He said.

******  
Liam had almost forgotten about his encounter with her and just continued to live his life. It was after lacrosse practice and he had taken his time to shower and then get dressed again. Now he left the locker room, ready to just go home, eat something and curl up on the couch or in bed and continue to read a bit in the Alpha journal. 

It was one of the rare occasions he had arrived at the campus by car. It had rained cats and dogs today and Theo had insisted Liam took his truck. Theo himself had no classes today and focused on his assignments, so he stayed home. Liam was the only other person Theo let drive his truck and Liam liked that Theo trusted him with his most precious property. 

So he left the building and was making his way towards the parked truck when she suddenly stepped into his path. “You!” She said with venom and her green eyes blazed with anger. Liam stopped, raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

“Uhm, hey?”

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, chin lightly raised in challenge. Liam took in her appearance. Straight white-blond hair, green eyes, and pale skin. Even Liam, who had no fashionable sense (according to Mason and Lydia), saw that her makeup was on point without being too much. Her red-painted lips were pulled in a slight frown and she tapped her perfectly manicured fingers against her arm. She was dressed in a creamy jumper with a wine-red scarf, a black skirt, and black ankle boots. She looked innocent and like a clotheshorse but again her chemosignals were basically waving warning labels. 

“I know you asked about my name.” She stated, even though it sounded more like an accusation. Liam shrugged.   
“Yeah, so? I just wanted to know how you’re called. Is that a crime?”  
“I don’t like people spying on me!”   
“Excuse me? I didn’t spy on you, I was just curious.” Liam defended himself. “What is your problem?”  
“My problem is that I don’t need your help. I am fine, I don’t need people looking after me or asking about me. I don’t need any of this!” Her tone was sharp but Liam was more focused on her body language. She was tensed, ready to jump anyone coming too close to her, ready to lash out...

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just thought that maybe you could use some help. I am sorry if that made you feel spied on.”  
“I don’t need pity! I am **fine**!”  
Liam narrowed his eyes. “Are you? Fine, I mean. Because you sought me out to yell in my face that you are fine. You don’t need help, you say. And yet here you are, coming to me to tell me all of this. To me, that sounds like the complete opposite. Like you need help and you want somebody to notice it.” He simply told her.  
She glared at him. “You know nothing about me!”

Liam set his jaw and looked at her, blue eyes locking with hers. “Right but I know what living with IED is like.” Because he knew the behavior patterns, he recognized her reactions. And it seemed like he hit home because she looked taken aback for a moment. “I don’t have ─...”  
“Oh yeah? Your scent is a dead giveaway. You suffer from IED and you don’t take your meds, am I right?”  
She tore her eyes away and raised her shoulders in defense. “I can’t take them. They don’t have an effect on _me_.” She said and when she glanced back at Liam her eyes flashed gold. So his nose had been right, it had been the scent of the wolf coming from her. Liam just nodded slowly and then flashed his own eyes red. Her eyes went wide.  
“ **You** are an Alpha?”  
 “Could you say this without sounding so surprised?”  
She pursed her lips. “I could but I won’t.”

The two wolfs started circling each other, never taking their eyes off their opponent. “I’m not going to join your pack, so don’t even try to recruit me.” Sadie snarled.  
“I don’t want to recruit you. We’re fine as we are.”  
“So what do you want? Alphas always want something.”  
“Not this Alpha. And again, you came to me.” Liam retorted.   
It had started raining again and they were still assessing each other. “Just wanted to make sure you know not to mess with me.” Sadie finally summed it up.  
“Duly noted. Don’t mess with me either.” Liam replied firmly.   
She nodded curtly and then turned around to rush away. Only for the strap of her purse to rip and everything falling out and onto the floor. 

And Liam should get into his car and drive away. But he could not let her crouch there and gather her belongings in the pouring rain without assisting. So he sighed, threw his bag in the truck bed and then walked over to crouch next to her and help her.

“You don’t have to do this!”  
“I know and yet here I am. Because I can actually be a nice guy. Even to sassy blonde werewolves who have big mouths.”  
Sadie chuckled at that and bit her lip, stroking a wet strand of hair out of her face.   
“Look, maybe we started on the wrong foot. Let’s try again.” He held out his hand. “Hey, I’m Liam, nice to meet you.”  
She looked at his hand as if it was a trap and then back at his face. She seemed unsure and Liam sighed. “I promise, I won’t try any funny business.”  
She still hesitated but then she shook his hand. “I am Sadie.” She introduced herself. Liam smiled and helped her gather the rest of her things. 

“Want to sit in the truck? It’s dry there and we can wait for the downpour to end.”  
She nodded softly but then pointed a finger at him. “One wrong move and I will kick your ass so bad even your ancestors will feel it. Alpha or not.”

He laughed. “Fair enough.” He said and unlocked the car. They slipped inside, Liam in the driver seat and Sadie in the passenger seat and she looked around.   
“This is not your truck. I smell somebody else here.”  
“It’s my friend’s car. I just borrowed it for today.”  
“Your boyfriend’s?”  
“No. Really just close friends.”  
“Your scents are mingled. You must be really close.”  
Liam chuckled. “We are.” He confirmed.  
They fell in an easy silence for a few moments, then she sighed. “Go ahead, ask.”  
“Are you a born wolf or were you bitten?”  
“Born. I’m a born werewolf with IED.” 

She obviously expected him to judge her or make a nasty comment because if nothing came, she looked over at him, surprise evident on her face.   
“What? No comment about me being a failure? A timebomb? Maybe even a monster?”  
“You’re none of those things. Neither because you are a werewolf nor because you have IED. You just have your difficulties with staying in control.”  
“What about you? Were you bitten or born?”  
“Bitten when I was fourteen. Took me years to learn to stay in control. I’m still learning.”  
“And since when are you an Alpha?”  
“A few months now.”  
“Who did you kill?”

Liam sighed. He had known sooner or later somebody would ask this question. He leaned his head against the headrest and looked at her. “Would you believe me if I said I didn’t kill anyone?”  
“Then how did you become an Alpha?”  
“Does the Morning Dew Pack ring any bells?”  
She shook her head and Liam launched into the story of how he became an Alpha. When he ended, Sadie blinked.

“I didn’t know you could become an Alpha by ritual.”  
“Me neither but here I am.”  
“Huh, pretty young, don’t you think?”  
“Yeah, but I’ll manage. I have an awesome pack.”  
Sadie glanced at him. “Well, I don’t have a pack and I don’t want one.”  
“So, you’re an omega.”   
“Is a college werewolf an omega or simply just a college student?” She asked back.   
“Now we’re getting philosophical.” 

Liam smiled at her and she hesitantly returned the smile. “You are the first other werewolf I met on campus. I’m sure there are others but I have never met them..”  
“Well.” Liam began. “There’s Theo too. And Maya. Makes four of us. If you want, you can meet with us.” When he noticed her sharp glare, he raised both hands. “This is not me recruiting, this is me inviting you for hanging out with us. You can leave anytime but I don’t think somebody should be alone. You don’t have to be pack to hang out with us. I hung out with lots of people who weren’t pack during high school, I have no problem with it.” He told her and she relaxed a bit.  
“I’ll see if I can make it possible. You know, I have lots of friends on the campus and around town.”  
“Sure. Whenever you want, you can call me or just drop by.” He grabbed pen and paper and scribbled down his phone number and his address. Handing it over, Sadie hesitated again before she took it and put it in her purse. 

In this moment Liam’s phone rang and he looked at the screen. Theo’s name flashed on it and he accepted the call.  
“Where are you? Lacrosse practice is over by now and you still are not home. Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, mom, I’m okay, don’t worry.” Liam replied with a smile and rolled his eyes. Theo huffed out a laugh.  
“Idiot. Just wanted to check. Is my car okay?”  
“Your car is fine too. I mean, the mechanic said it will be fine again.”  
“Liam, I swear to god!”  
“Yeah, love you too. I’ll be home soon, sweetheart.”

He hung up and chuckled while pocketing his phone.   
“That was your boyfriend, right?” Sadie inquired.  
“Nope, still my roommate and the owner of this truck.”

“Oh.” She looked at the sky. “I should get going, the rain almost stopped.” She opened the door but then looked back at him. “Guess I’ll see you around.” 

“Yeah, see you.” Liam said and she smiled weakly before slipping out the car and closing the door. She ducked and then started marching to god knows where. Liam let her. He had the sure feeling she didn’t want him to drive her somewhere. Boundaries, he got that much. But maybe she would follow his invitation and actually hang out with him and his friends one or two times. She seemed like a nice girl when she wasn’t currently snapping at anybody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you say, guys? Liam's facing some hardships after becoming an Alpha. Thank god he has his pack to rely on. And what do you have to say about Sadie? Do you like her? Hate her?  
> Any wishes for the next chapter? Predictions? Bets?


	10. Finding your place is hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie struggles to find her place with Liam and his pack, while Liam tries to be a good Alpha. New dangers arrises, old enemies show up and suddenly an unforeseen person joins the action.

Liam was at the coffee shop Theo was working. He used to spend his time there to work for his classes while Theo often stopped by and made some remarks or just tried to distract Liam on lazy days. The place wasn‘t too crowded, so Liam could enjoy typing on his laptop and finishing an essay without getting disturbed by too much noise. But suddenly his phone chimed with an incoming call and Liam looked up away from his laptop screen to check who it was. His face lit up and he immediately answered the call.

“Scott, hey.“  
“Liam, how you’re doing?“ Scott asked with a soft chuckle.  
“I’m fine, classes are fine and I even managed to increase my GPA.“ After he had spent so much time over his books Liam decided to not let it slide and actually maintain his good grades for once. “Theo’s good too.“  
Theo behind the counter peeked up at the mention of his name and Liam mouthed Scott’s name so the chimera knew who he was talking to. Theo nodded and then returned to his work and Liam returned his attention back towards the call.  
“How are you, Scott?“  
“I’m fine too and so are Malia, Lydia, Stiles, and Derek. They told me to greet you.“  
Liam smiled. “Greet them back. I miss you guys.“

He did. They were his first pack, he still had his ties to them and he still considered himself Scott’s Beta, own pack or not.  
“We miss you too. Is everything okay in Seattle? No hunters lately?“  
See, since becoming an Alpha the talks with Scott were strange. Liam told him about the hunters, told him about Theo’s poisoning but he left out large bits of the stories. So Scott had no idea about Shana helping for example. He had indeed asked why Liam didn’t call Deaton but Liam had said they managed on their own. Scott knew Liam and Theo hung out with some other werewolves but that about was it. As long as he didn’t get a chance to tell Scott about him becoming an Alpha face to face, he was walking a thin line.

“No hunters lately. But hey, Scott, do you think you could manage some time to visit? It’s been a while since we last saw each other and we should really talk face to face instead of just over the phone.“  
Scott stayed silent and Liam heard him shuffling around. “I get you’re busy with saving wolves and your own college life but please?“ He added after a while.  
“I could come in two months. I have tests and assignments to do but then it gets quieter again. Maybe Malia comes with me, don‘t know yet. But does that sound good? Two months?“  
“Two months sound awesome!“ Liam beamed and Theo stepped to the table to refill Liam’s mug. He watched Liam closely but smiled when he saw Liam’s happy expression.  
“Okay, got to go. See you in two months, Liam.“  
“See you then!“

Liam hung up and pumped both fists in the air. “Scott’s coming to town in two months.“  
Theo chuckled. “That’s amazing. Enough time for you to figure out how to tell him.“  
“I think straightforward would be the best. Just say: Scott, some things have changed. I didn‘t kill anyone but I’m an Alpha now too.“  
Theo gave him a skeptical look. It was his nature to be less optimistic than Liam and have some doubts. But then he smiled and squeezed Liam’s shoulder. “Everything will work out okay, puppy.“

“Puppy? That’s cute.“  
Both young men turned around and looked at Sadie. Liam smiled brightly. “Sadie, hey!“ He exclaimed happily. They had not talked since she sought him out but they had shared a few smiles and nods when they saw each other around campus. That she initiated a conversation now gave him hope she would lose some of her initial distant mannerism.  
She extended her hand towards Theo. “Hi, I’m Sadie as you already heard.“  
He gave her a wary look but then took her hand to shake it. His nostrils flared. “You were the one who has been in my truck with Liam!“  
“Ah, the truck owner. Theo, right? Liam’s roommate.“  
“And his anchor.“ Theo added, eyes narrowing slightly. Liam frowned, that wasn’t how Theo usually introduced himself. It took some time until Theo told somebody that. Sadie raised one eyebrow but kept her smile and then Theo had to leave before he could say anything else because he had some customers to serve. He walked back to the counter and Liam pointed at the booth across the table. “Want to have a seat?“ He invited her and Sadie actually followed the invite.

“He doesn’t like me.“ She stated.  
“Who? Theo? Nah, he’s a bit distant in the beginning but he will come around.“  
She didn’t seem so sure oft hat and just gave him a look. Liam shrugged. “Theo is a great friend and great to be around. He just needs some time to warm up to people. Understandable if you take into account what he went through.“  
“Oh, look, it goes both ways.“ She muttered and then drank her coffee. Liam looked confused. “What goes both ways?“  
“Nothing.“ Sadie said and her red-painted lips curved into a smile. Liam was still confused but then decided not to dwell on that and latch in an easy conversation with her.

Maya entered the coffee shop a while after and walked towards the counter. Only a few customer sat at the tables and aside from that it was all very slow. So Theo had time to glare. Maya stepped to him and followed his line of sight to where Liam and Sadie sat and still talked.  
“I would order a coffee but I’m scared the milk turns sour by the force of your glare. Who stole your bowl of sunshine this morning, thundercloud?“  
Theo never stopped glaring daggers at the blonde. “He told me he talked to a werewolf girl he met and they waited in my truck until it stopped raining. He didn‘t tell me how pretty she was.“ He growled and Maya raised both eyebrows and really tried to stifle her delighted chuckle.  
“You’re really jealous this time, huh? I thought it had been bad when Liam and I joked around about getting married but damn, this time takes the cake, huh?“  
“He beamed at her! He fucking beamed at her when she greeted him. No, not greeted, she just involved herself in our conversation which rude!“  
Maya could not help and laugh before looking over. “She’s pretty, I agree with that. Liam has a thing for green eyes, huh?“  
Theo growled again. “How do you know she has green eyes?“  
“I saw her around. She is very involved in the college newspaper and various other activities. We never talked but I saw her.“  
“Oh, so you have a crush on her too?“ Theo snapped sarcastically. 

He looked at the still taking pair and sighed gravely. “Their kids would be insanely pretty.“  
Maya’s head snapped around and she stared at him. “Did you smoke something?“ She asked irritated.  
“You know I’m right. They both are gorgeous and Liam as dad would be amazing to see.“  
She still stared at him as if he had grown a second head. “They are literally just talking. But, damn boy, you got it bad for him.“  
She smirked. “Time for me to meet her! She made the great Theo Raeken doubt himself. I have to meet her.“

Thus she turned around and walked over to Liam and Sadie. “Hey there.“  
Liam smiled. “Hey, Maya.“ He greeted his Beta and she slipped next to him and grinned over to Theo who still glared or rather looked quite betrayed right now.  
„You are Maya Duncan, you organized the equality march back then in March.“ Sadie remembered and Maya nodded.  
“I was one of the organizers but yeah. Did you walk with us?“  
“Of course I did. I’m a strong believer in equality and feminism. Every woman should have the same rights as men and every woman should be able to decide how she wants to dress. The social standards are impossible to achieve and we have to work on that to make every woman feel cherished and like the queen she really is.“  
“My opinions exactly!“ Maya enthusiastically exclaimed and both women latched into a discussion about the various problems and hardships coming with this opinion. Liam slowly inched away and sneaked away to Theo.

“What just happened?“ The chimera asked irritatedly and with a frown while he watched the still talking girls.  
“I’m pretty sure that’s how it looks when one queen befriends another.“ Liam shared his opinion of the whole encounter. Theo sighed. So he had lost Maya too, great.

Liam picked up on his friend’s dark mood. “You okay? You look kind of down.“  
“I…Yeah, I’m okay.“  
“You sure?“  
“Liam!“ Theo snapped and when Liam took a step back, his tone softened. “Stop worrying, okay? I’m fine.“  
But Liam, stubborn to his very core, shook his head. “You’re not fine and I hate when you lie to me.“  
“Just drop it, Dunbar, it’s nothing.“  
Liam opened his arms. “Hug?“ He asked.  
Theo glared at him but then sighed and actually hugged Liam.  
They both didn’t realize Maya and Sadie were watching them.

“Liam said they’re not but come on, they are dating, right?“ The blonde asked and Maya snorted.  
“No, they’re not and please don‘t ask me why. I cannot give you a reason except for they’re both idiots.“  
“Idiots who are head over heels for each other.“  
“I like you, Sadie, you know?“  
She looked back at Maya and grinned.

*****  
Sadie met with them several times after that. It was nice to have her around, she was still a bit distant but she was warming up to them and Liam counted this as a win. Maya and her got along pretty well and if someone had asked him, Liam had immediately testified that these two could take over the world if they wanted. They were complete opposites, Sadie being into fashion and makeup while Maya was all about being natural and needed her clothes to be comfortable and suitable, but they were both power women.   
Liam himself tried to help Sadie with her anger issues, as good as she let him help her that’s it, and the two of them got along pretty well too. The only person who obviously didn’t get along with the blonde was Theo. He rarely talked to her and made no pretense about him not liking her. These two were like cat and dog and Liam felt like pulling his hair. He was used to Theo being sarcastic but when Sadie was around, he turned downright mean and borderline rude. And Sadie tried, she tried to be nice to him, but it didn’t bring any success. Liam saw her face fall every time Theo simply shut her down and she grew more distant again. It was frustrating to watch his and Maya’s work to get destroyed because of Theo’s temper or whatever this was. 

Liam, Maya, and Sadie entered the coffee shop and made their way directly to the counter since nobody was there at the moment. Theo smiled. “Hey, Maya, hey, Liam.” And then he spotted Sadie and his smile vanquished. “Oh. hi.”  
Liam rolled his eyes and sighed. Maya muttered “Oh boy.” behind him and Liam could relate to that on a spiritual level. This was getting ridiculous.

And it only got worse. As time progressed, Theo seemed to downright hate Sadie’s guts. Whatever she did, nothing coaxed a positive reaction from the chimera and after Liam had scolded him for his snide remarks, Theo had sighed but then went on just glaring at Sadie instead of snapping. Only when she spoke to him, he talked to her too and his tone was as snappy as it could be. 

Sadie had come and brought coffee for all of them and Theo hands-down told her he was trying to tone down his coffee intake. Liam and Maya had gaped at him because that was so far from the truth and Sadie had sighed. “Oh, okay.” She said sadly and sipped her own coffee. And Liam could not handle it anymore. 

He got up from his seat. “Be right back!” He announced and then yanked Theo from his chair as well, pulling him behind him and right into the bathroom. Turning on the faucet so they could talk in peace and without the girls overhearing them he glared at the other. 

“What the hell is your problem?” He barked at Theo, eyes flashing red because he was pissed off, and the chimera looked flabbergasted for a moment, then his face darkened.  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”  
“Cut the crap! What is your problem with Sadie? She did nothing to you and she is already distant enough. Maya and I work on a good friendship and then you come along and push her away again.”  
“Okay, listen, I don’t have to like her. She doesn’t want to be part of the pack, she said this more often than not, so just because she’s hanging around doesn’t mean we have to be friends.”  
“Yes, you have to be! Because I don’t see why not. She never did anything!”  
“Liam, just because you have a crush on her, she doesn’t have to become my best friend!” Theo snarked.

Liam stared at Theo for several moments, brain slowly progressing what he just heard. And then his hand shot up and forcefully shoved Theo back with his palm against the chimera’s forehead.  
Theo hissed and held his forehead. “Ouch! What the hell, Liam?”  
Liam glared at him and growled. “How can you believe I have a crush on her and use that as an excuse to be mean to her. What? Think I will exchange you with her?”  
Theo stayed silent at that and Liam growled. “You are a gigantic idiot, Theodore!”  
“You are always happy when she comes around. You beam at her and all.” Theo actually whined and he hated himself for it but he could not help himself. Liam rolled his eyes.  
“I am happy because she follows my invitation and that means she trusts us. She is all alone and doesn’t want a pack but nobody should be alone. I hope she let us help her and she’s slowly coming around. But you’re actively trying to push her away again. Theo, no matter what she does or says, Sadie is thousand percent not my type and I have no motivation to replace one of my closest friends and my anchor with her. But she could use some friends and I really like her. As a friend. So stop being...whatever the hell it is you are, jealous or whatever, and actually talk to her. Because I am pretty sure the two of you will get along just great. She reads many books you also like. Start with that.”  
Theo sighed but nodded. “Okay, fine. Maybe I was a bit unfair.”  
Liam raised both eyebrows. “Maybe? A bit?”  
Theo just huffed, too proud and too stubborn to say anything else. 

There was a knock on the door and it slowly opened to reveal Maya with one hand covering her eyes. “Are you dressed enough so I can look at you or did you finally give in to the sexual tension?” She asked and peeked through her fingers when she didn’t get an answer. “Oh, you’re fully dressed. That’s oddly disappointing.”  
“Anything we can help you with?” Liam asked and he knew full well he was blushing.   
Maya smirked. “We thought about going to check out the newest Thai place. Want to come with us?” She asked. 

Theo and Liam shared a look. “Sounds good.” The oldest of the group then decided and left the bathroom with Liam. Sadie waited patiently for them to gather their wallets and jackets and then they were ready to go. The place wasn’t that far away and not as crowded as they thought it would be. They found a table easily and could order relatively fast. And while they waited for their food, Theo actually made an attempt to talk to Sadie. And lo and behold, the two of them actually could have a decent conversation. Maya leaned over to Liam. “Told him he doesn’t have to be jealous, huh?”  
“Was he really jealous?” Liam asked and Maya looked at him with a pitiful look. “Aw, Liam, you being so oblivious is cute sometimes, really. He was seething with jealousy. You’re **his** Liam after all.” She patted his cheek and snickered. Liam simply scrunched his nose but didn’t question any further. He was happy the four of them finally seemed to get along just great. 

******  
And despite Sadie finally getting along with Liam and his Betas, she was still determined not to be part of their pack and stressed this quite often. “I hang out with you because you are the only weres I know around and you’re pretty decent but I’m not part of the pack.” She said every time. 

“I don‘t know why she doesn‘t want it. We all are stronger in a pack.“ Maya thought out loud while she and the boys were out for a jog.  
“Maybe she made bad experiences with the pack life. Or she’s simply not a pack animal.“ Theo chimed in.  
“Somebody else said that too about himself and now he’s the first Beta.“ Liam muttered and Theo looked at him. “I had a valid reason to join the pack.“  
“Really? What reason?“ Liam joked.  
“You.“ Theo said simply. “You became the Alpha and with that, I had a very valid reason to join. You‘re my anchor and my friend after all.“  
“You guys are sickeningly sweet sometimes.“ Maya mumbled and picked up her pace. Soon enough Theo was next to her. She was still working on controlling her wolf, still a bit hesitant, so he was still faster than her. And then Liam raced past them.

“Show off!“ Both Betas called out and the Alpha spun around, grinned brightly, and jogged backward. “No, that is showing off.“ He corrected. “Come on, both of you, you can go faster.“  
“And there he is again, the drillmaster.“ Theo mocked and Liam fake-glared at him.  
“Just because you are not fast enough, _Theodore_ , doesn‘t mean I’m a drillmaster. Come on, a bit of running won‘t hurt you. Don‘t want you to get fat, right?“ He mocked. Theo raised an eyebrow and pulled the hem of his shirt up to reveal his abs. “Suck my dick, Dunbar, there isn’t the slightest bit of fat anywhere near.“

Liam was momentarily distracted by the display, stumbled and actually fell flat on his ass. Maya and Theo started laughing and Liam looked up at them from where he sat on the ground and then he started laughing too. His own fault!  
“Serves you right for showing off!“ Theo said without any pity and Liam stuck out his tongue at him.

“Did you see that? Our Alpha’s getting cheeky.“ Maya said with a shake of her head.  
“Guess we have to teach him to respect his Betas, huh?“ Theo jumped on that bandwagon.  
Liam snickered. “Think you can take me? Both of you?“ They nodded and his eyes flashed red while he smirked. He jumped to his feet. “Then bring it on!“ He said and started running. Immediately both Betas went chase.

Liam wasn‘t running at full speed by far right now, he wanted to give them a bit of advantage and so he just made several turns and ran zigzag to avoid getting caught until they both finally got him and tackled him to the ground. All three fell while play-wrestling and laughing all the while. They finally pulled away and just laughed their asses off. None of them noticed Sadie watching them from afar with a longing look on her face.

******  
Going snack shopping on a full moon when you were a college student on a budget was probably not the best idea, Liam pondered while he dropped the various bags in the shopping basket. But he as Alpha was the provider and since they would gather at Maya’s shed tonight again, he wanted to have snacks at least. Not for Maya, she would probably suffocate on them during the full moon, but maybe after that, she would like some candy to feel better. Sadie had said she would take care of the full moon herself and Liam had told her where the pack would gather but left it open if she wanted to come or not. The young Alpha wished she would come but he strongly suspected she would stay away.

Liam carried the basket to the cash register and paid for everything and then left the grocery store. He checked his watch. Not long and the moon would be up in the sky. It would not take long to walk from the grocery store to the shed and so Liam shouldered the bag and started walking.

He had managed half of the way when he noticed a scooter on the street and a girl sitting next to it on the sidewalk, crying and mumbling angrily. When he came closer, he smelled the unmistakable scent. “Sadie?“  
Her head snapped up and she looked at him frantically. “What are you doing here, Liam?“  
“The shed Maya rented is around here. What about you? Did your scooter break down?“  
She kicked the front tire with her foot. “Stupid thing. I need it for one night and it stops working. Such a stupid, shitty thing.“  
“Where do you have to go that you need it so badly?“ Liam inquired and the scent of panic hit his nose. He frowned. “Sadie? What‘s going on?“

She whimpered and the moon raised up in the sky. “I need…I need to hide! Need my chains.“ She gritted out and Liam blinked. It took him a moment but then he realized. “You don‘t have control.“  
“I’m a born werewolf with IED. What do you think?“ She snapped and her eyes glowed gold.  
“Okay, come on, get up!“ Liam said and took her arm to pull her to her feet. “I know where we can go. Come on, don’t waste time.“  
Once he had her on her feet, he pulled her along, not caring about her protests. He felt her shaking and with every minute she whimpered louder, her wolf clawing at her insides to take over.

They reached the shed finally and Liam tore the door open. Inside were Maya and Theo, latter chaining her up, and they both looked up when he stumbled inside. “No time to explain, help me chain her up!“ Liam told Theo and the twenty-one-year-old wasted no time to aid Liam. Sadie was struggling against their holds and when the moon appeared high in the sky Maya started growling and hissing too, pulling at her chains. Sadie’s resistance only grew and she lunged at them, tried to grab them with her claws and hurt them, wolf wild and untamed.

Both females were edging each other on and since Theo had stopped chaining Maya up, one of her arms was free and she also lunged at them. It was pure chaos and Liam and Theo struggled to keep them still. Sadie managed to escape their hold once and lunged at the other wild wolf in sight. It took a literal tackle into the wall from Liam to keep the two young women apart and make sure they didn’t kill each other.  
„STOP IT!“ He roared at Sadie, eyes glowing as red as they could be, and she whined, cowering for a moment before her wolf decided to riot against the Alpha. She tried to grab any part of Maya she could reach and since the shed wasn‘t that big, she almost managed again. Liam saw no other chance than to hit her on the head and knock her out. She slumped to the ground but at least she wasn’t causing any more harm.

And then he turned around to help Theo with Maya. Only to watch one oft he most horrific scenes he would ever see. See, Liam was used to a lot of horrible things and he was no stranger to blood and broken bones. But seeing Maya scratch a clawed hand over Theo’s throat and the blood seep from the claw marks made his stomach twist. Liam jumped, yanking Maya away from his friend and knocked her out too.

“Hey. Hey, Theo, are you okay?“ Liam worriedly asked, hand coming up to press against Theo’s injury.  
“It’s okay, they’re not that deep.“ Theo said but he was pale and staggered back before Liam grabbed him and slowly lowered him to the ground so Theo could lean against the wall of the shed. Liam checked the cuts slowly. Theo was right, they weren’t deep but there was blood and Liam took a tissue to softly wipe the blood away and press it against the wound. When it finally stopped bleeding, he checked again and then looked at Theo. “How are you feeling?” He inquired and Theo barked out a dry laugh and then hissed because that hurt.

“Peachy. But I will manage. I survived worse things than this.”  
Liam smiled weakly and sat next to Theo, also leaning against the wall. He watched the two girls. “I came across her by accident. When I asked her if she wanted to join us earlier, she said she had everything under control. I don’t know why she lied.” He shook his head.  
“Liam, she obviously is afraid to join a pack, to belong. I don’t know why but she must have made some very bad experiences. Somehow I get why she lied.” Theo said with a soft shrug. Liam looked at him. Seemed like they still had a long way to go with the blonde werewolf.

******  
Liam raised his head and looked around the shed. Maya was still lying on the ground, seemingly asleep; and Sadie was also curled into a ball as good as she could. Theo still sat next to him, head on Liam’s shoulder, and still asleep too. Liam carefully sat up to not disturb Theo too much. He checked Theo’s throat. It had completely healed overnight and he smiled softly before pressing a chaste kiss on the chimera’s forehead.

A groan from Sadie made him look up. She moved and when she found herself restrained and in a strange environment, she whimpered. Liam moved Theo away from his shoulder so he could move over to her and kneel in front of her.  
“Hey, Sadie, everything’s okay, you’re safe.” He told her in a calm voice. She looked at him and then looked down, biting her lips. The scent of shame was rolling off her. “Sadie, hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to feel ashamed.”   
The blonde raised her head again, tears glistening in the corner of her eyes. “Easy for you to say.” She said and tried to move a hand but the chains restrained her. Liam helped her get them all off and then sat cross-legged in front of her. 

“Why did you lie when I asked if you got everything handled during a full moon?” He finally asked her.  
Sadie leaned against the wall and shook her head. “Liam, I’m not the most open person. Thought we already established that. And I don’t want you to pity me.”  
“We would have not pitied you but helped you. Look, Sadie, I know how it is to lose control, okay? I know how hard it is. Why do you think we’re here? We’re helping each other.”  
“Yeah, the pack members always help each other. But, as already established, I’m not pack.”

Liam sighed and stood up, extending his hand towards her. “Want to go for a walk?” He asked and she grabbed his hand and let him pull her to her feet. They left the shed together and started walking slowly, around the garden.

“Sadie, why don’t you want a pack?” He had wanted to ask this since their first talk.   
She wrapped her arms around herself. “Because a pack judges you.” When she noticed Liam’s confused look, she elaborated. “While growing up I was always the wild child, the pirate princess instead of the normal princess. Talking pink princess's dress and boots here. As a kid, everybody thought it was kind of cute. But then I grew older and I still had this untamed temper, they started to give a sniff at that.” Sadie took a breath. “And then I was diagnosed with IED and the judgment started. I actually overheard other members of the pack tell my parents how sorry they were that their daughter wasn’t normal. When we were out and gathering with the pack I saw the stares. My parents tried to help me, they don’t deserve people judging them for their broken daughter.” 

Liam had experienced the judging himself so he could relate to Sadie. She continued. “Seattle was supposed to be my clean slate, my fresh start.Where nobody could judge me. It’s bad enough when I come home but I can ignore this. Nobody knows me here, that’s why I saw this as a new beginning.”

“Sadie, do you really think any of us would judge you? Look at us. Maya was deadly afraid of her wolf, to the point she broke her own bones to stop the shift. Theo has done a lot of bad things in his life but he redeemed himself. And me? I’m constantly fighting for control, to be honest, I have anger management issues as well and I made some pretty bad mistakes in my life too. And you really think we would be the ones to judge you? And I get the clean slate. Do you know why I decided on Seattle? Because it was away from Beacon Hills. I knew that I could really be my own person here and not just the Baby Beta. I could figure out who I really am without anybody always patronizing me or saying I’m cute or something.”

She hesitated to answer. “I just don’t think I would be good as a member of your pack.” Sadie suddenly confessed. They stayed silent for a while until she sighed. “Can I go now?”  
“Of course. You can always come and go as you please.” Liam replied and she walked away without looking back. 

Liam sighed and ran a hand through his hair before returning back to the shed. Maya and Theo had woken up and Theo was unchaining her. “What’s with Sadie?” Theo of all people asked and Liam knelt next to him and helped to free Maya.   
“She told me why she doesn’t want to be a part of the pack and I understand her. I still think she’s not good as omega.” He told his Betas and ran a hand through his hair again, a clear sign he was frustrated.   
“In the end, she has to come and actively ask for becoming a member. If she doesn’t, we have to accept it.” Maya said and rubbed her wrist. Liam sighed and ran his hand through his hair once more before grimacing. He needed a haircut.

******  
"What about going to the movies? It’s so long since I’ve been there.” Maya suggested while her and Theo and Liam walked towards Theo’s truck. The two had picked up Liam after Lacrosse practice and were now discussing what to do with the evening.   
“Going to the movies sounds good to me. What about you, Liam?” Theo agreed with Maya.  
Liam was about to answer but suddenly a rotten smell hit his nose and he stopped dead in his tracks. His senses went into overdrive and he listened for any unfamiliar sound.  
“Liam?” Theo asked but Liam raised his hand, indicating that he needed to hear. And then he heard the faint sounds of fighting and howling. His eyes flashed red and he dropped his bag in the truck bed. 

“Come with me!” He ordered his Betas and then started running. Theo and Maya shortly behind them. Their way led to the library on campus and when Liam tore the door open, he saw a girl on the ground, shielding her head from any danger, visibly shaking with fear. In front of her stood Sadie, fangs bared and eyes glowing, while she was desperately trying to stop another girl with bared fangs and blazing white eyes, to get to the girl on the ground. A wendigo, Liam noticed, Sadie was fighting a wendigo. 

“Maya, get the girl out!” Liam ordered while his own fangs came out. Maya brushed past him, grabbed the only human in the round, and pulled her to her feet. She dragged her to the door of the library and pushed her out. “Run!” She called out and the girl did what she had been told. She turned around and ran away with a scream. 

Liam roared at the wendigo and the girl’s head spun around to face him. Theo roared too and stepped next to Liam, as well as Maya just a second later. The wendigo knew she was outnumbered and hissed before shoving Sadie away and pulling a clawed hand over her face. Sadie fell to the ground and the wendigo ran in the opposite direction. Liam immediately went to Sadie. “Follow her!” He told his Betas and they both chased after the wendigo girl. 

“Sadie, are you okay?” Liam cradled her in his arms because she was shaking and moving around. The cuts on her face were bleeding but they were not lethal.   
“What was that?” She asked, out of breath and shaken up from the encounter.  “What was that?” The blonde werewolf shrieked again.   
“That was a wendigo.” Liam explained and she grabbed his arms in a painful grip.  
“I know what that was! She suddenly jumped the girl and I had to interfere! I could not let her kill the girl. But, Liam...” She shook him. “I never used my wolf to help people! Not once! What was that?”

Liam stared at Sadie, a little bit lost how he should handle the obvious breakdown. “Sadie, calm down.” He finally said and freed himself from her grasp to pull her into a hug. “You did something great, you helped an innocent person. That’s amazing.” He mumbled while stroking her hair. Sadie was still muffling and crying.   
Sadie was still shaking but then she pushed him away and jumped to her feet just when Theo and Maya appeared again.  
“We lost her.” Maya snarled, pissed by that. Liam ignored her for now and focused on Sadie who was still breaking down.  
“I never helped anybody! I never got involved!”  
“Well, sweetheart, then you hang with the wrong crowd.” Theo’s calculating voice rang through. “Because we get involved, it’s what we do. So if you don’t want to get involved, I suggest you stop hanging out with us as hard as this sounds. Because we get involved and we save lives, as many as we can. You just did that too but if you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. It’s okay, nobody will judge you.” 

It what Theo’s usual calculated and logical way of thinking and Liam felt himself agreeing with it. As usual, it brought him peace too, made him feel calmer than before. Theo was brutally honest in times like this but he was having a point. He liked having Sadie around but their pack got involved and they wanted to get involved, so if she wanted to stay she had to get used to it. But it seemed like she was way too overwhelmed by now. She stared at Theo, mouth opening and closing without a word coming out, and then she spun around and ran away.   
“Should we follow her?” Maya asked but Liam shook his head. “Let her go, she has a lot on her mind now.”  
“And what are we going to do now?” Maya looked at her Alpha.  
“We keep our eyes open. A wendigo on the loose is a recipe for disaster.”

******  
Having a wendigo kept them occupied but days after the fight there was no sign of the cannibal and yet the pack was ready to interfere if needed. Sadie dropped off the face of the earth, claiming she was sick or whatever and Liam figured it was part of her figuring out where she stood. He let her, he had other things to worry about at the moment. Sadie’s identity crisis could be solved later, now he needed to find a wendigo as well as find out who poisoned the punch at the party. The latter was still on his list and Maya seemed to have made progress in that one. She showed up at the apartment with some gossip about a dealer who sold wolfsbane as a new cool drug to students. It wasn’t much, but maybe it was exactly what they were looking for.

And so Liam found himself in the industrial area where he as well as Maya and Theo searched for the storage room of said dealer.   
“I said it once and I’ll gladly say it again. Why can’t we go to places with better lighting?” Theo said and looked around, the narrow streets between containers and storage rooms.   
“Because you won’t find a drug dealer laboratory within a bright and sunny park.” Liam replied and Theo just huffed. “Smartass.” 

Liam grinned and followed the instructions Maya had been given. “Number 47, that’s here.” He pointed at a door and looked over his shoulders. “Ready?” He asked and Theo answered by extracting his claws. Maya bared her fangs, battle ready. Liam listened for any sounds but nothing came and so he opened the door, claws already out.

The room was empty and dimly lit and it was hard to see anything at first. Their eyes needed to get used to the light inside the storage room and when they did, they found a few covered boxes. Liam walked in and tore the cover off. “They are all empty.” He realized. 

“Those here are empty as well.” Theo announced from the other side of the cubicle. 

Right after that, the door slammed shut behind them and they all spun around. “No!” Liam called out and ran to the door, trying to open it again. It didn’t budge, no matter how hard Liam pulled at it, Alpha strength or not. Theo and Maya were at his side, tearing at the door too, but even with three supernatural creatures, the door stayed close. And then Liam heard the sizzling. He looked around and saw the purple vapor flowing from the air shaft into the storage room. His eyes widened in shock.

“That’s wolfsbane! We need to get out here!” He alerted his Betas and they only pulled more desperately at the door. A second air shaft let even more vapor into the room and since it wasn’t big to begin with, the place soon filled with the purple dust. They all started coughing and even though they tried to hold their breath, they soon coughed again. Pulling at the door was getting harder with the wolfsbane affecting them and then a third air shaft, right above them, opened and vapor flowed down on them, making them cough even harder.

Maya was pounding on the door with both hands and yelling for help, Theo was still trying to open the door, just like Liam. But the chimera went down first, falling to his knees and coughing violently. Maya was next, sliding down until she was cowering, and Liam tried to pull them both up but he failed and found himself on the floor too. His vision started to get blurry and it felt harder and harder to breathe. The vapor was crawling down his throat, into his lungs, and made them seize up, desperate for air.  This was how they were going to die and Liam had no idea how long it would take or how more painful it would become. He felt sorry for his Betas, seeing them on the floor and desperately gasping for air, and he felt himself wishing they had another chance. He would gladly die if that meant Maya and Theo got another chance.

Black dots were dancing in front of his eyes and Liam fell sideways, subconsciously reaching for Theo and for Maya when he suddenly heard a thud outside, metal grating on metal and then the door was wrenched open. Inside the doorframe stood a dark figure, it was too bright outside to make out more than the outlines, who grabbed Maya, the closest to the door and pulled her outside. Liam struggled to his feet, mobilizing the last bit of power he had, grabbed Theo and more or less pushed him out before a hand grabbed his arms and yanked him outside the storage room as well. 

Liam fell to the ground when he could breathe again, busily taking in the fresh air, and then he raised his head. Sadie slammed the door shut again to keep the vapor from emerging and looked at the three of them. They all were still gasping for air, wheezing and filling their lungs with fresh air. 

“Oh my god, are you guys relatively okay?” Sadie asked and kneeled between Maya and Liam. Both nodded, too breathless to really speak, and Sadie went to dot on Theo when she was sure the two others were recovering. Theo was on all fours, still trying to get air in his lungs, before falling to one side. His breath rattle and sounded so off, Liam’s heart skipped a beat. While he and Maya were getting better, Theo still coughed and seemed to not be able to breathe at all. And that’s when it hit Liam. 

“He suffered asthma before he got turned into a chimera!” He yelled and searched his pockets frantically. He finally found what he had been looking for and stumbled over to Theo. “Here, Theo! Take the inhaler! Take it!” He said and pressed the inhaler into Theo’s hand and closed the chimera’s fingers around it. Theo was shivering when he shook it and raised it to his lips. Liam only let out a breath himself when he heard the older man inhale two times. And slowly Theo’s breathing returned to normal and he could breathe again.

“Why do you have an inhaler?” Sadie asked.  
“Yeah, good question. Why do you have an inhaler?” Theo panted, still out of breath, while Maya rubbed his back.  
Liam shrugged. “I know you had asthma before you got turned into a chimera. I experienced it with Scott that his asthma got triggered by several things and he needed his inhaler even though his asthma was healed by the bite. But he had his inhaler. I know you don’t use one so I made a point of always having one with me.”   
He looked sheepishly when everyone stared at him. “What? Is that creepy?”  
“Dedication, that’s what I’d call that.” Sadie said approvingly.   
Theo looked down at the inhaler in his hand, then back at Liam. “You saved my life.” He said and smiled softly. Liam returned the smile.  
“Just like you did countless of times.” He patted Theo’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s get outta here.”

They all got to their feet but when they wanted to walk away, they heard the telltale sound of a gun and were suddenly faced with one of the hunters that had attacked them at the park. He pointed a machine-gun at them, ready to shoot.”You’re going nowhere.” He snarled.  
“Really? We’re four against one, I already knocked out your hunter buddy.” Sadie snarled back and growled.  He moved the gun slightly and the laser from the targeting device wandered over Liam’s chest to his forehead.  
“You maybe werewolves but how good can you survive with a bullet in your head?” The hunter mocked them. “One wrong move from any of you and I’ll splatter your Alpha’s brain all over the place.”   
Liam heard Theo growl but he made no move towards the hunter. Too risky that he would make true of his words and pull the trigger. The young Alpha raised both hands in surrender. “What do you want us to do?” He asked, trying to keep the situation calm. He wasn’t keen on having a bullet in his brain, so he tried to gain time.  
“Get back in the room with the wolfsbane! All four of you!” He demanded and Liam took a step back, the Beta werewolves following. “Okay, we’re going.” Liam said.  
“You all go inside and close the door. You won’t leave this place alive again!”

He looked at them, eyes filled with disgust and hatred. The wolves looked at him, debating on if they should follow or try to get out as fast as possible. But none of them would be as fast to reach him before he pulled the trigger. 

But suddenly the guy was flung to the side, collided head first with the wall, and collapsed in a heap, gun slithering over the floor.  A tall guy in Theo’s age, stood behind the hunter, a grim smile on his face while he looked down at the motionless human before he looked at the werewolves in front of him. He pointed at the hunter.

“That looked like you needed help.” He announced, blue eyes sparkling in amusement at their dumbfounded expressions before glowing gold for a moment. He put his hands in the pockets of his military jacket and grinned, and Liam raked his eyes over the other’s body. He was attractive, even his adrenaline flooded brain got that, dressed in light blue jeans, beige converse, and a white t-shirt. And not only was he attractive but familiar, even though Liam only saw him in pictures.

“You’re...” He began,  
“Isaac? Isaac Lahey?” Theo said at the same moment.   
Isaac grinned. “Theo, long time no see.” He looked at Liam. “And you’re Scott’s first bitten Beta. You’re Liam.”  
The young Alpha nodded flabbergasted. “Uhm, yeah, though I’m not a Beta anymore.” He said and flashed his eyes. It was literally the only thing his brain supplied at the moment. 

The confusion only grew when Nolan suddenly peeked up from behind Isaac. “Hey, guys!”  
“Nolan??” Theo and Liam called out at the same time.   
“Okay, explain!” Theo demanded and Nolan stepped next to Isaac, casting a look at the hunter. “Maybe we should take this somewhere else.” He suggested then and Liam had to agree.

“Come on, guys.” Isaac was the first to turn around and start walking and the rest of the group followed. Not soon after they all found themselves at Theo’s and Liam’s apartment, minus Sadie who had said she needed to take care of something. Liam looked at Theo and Isaac. “You were in the same grade back then, right?” Because Isaac was Scott’s grade and so was Theo, so it was only logical they knew each other too, right?  
Both nodded. “Our siblings were pretty good friends actually.” Theo said and Isaac chuckled. “I’m pretty sure Tara was Cam’s first kiss as little kids.”  
Theo made a face. “That’s...strange to think about.”

“Okay, and how do you guys know each other?” Liam inquired further and pointed at Nolan and Isaac. Nolan blew his tea to cool it down a notch.   
“Remember I told you that I could maybe move in with someone here in Seattle? Well, when I had my internship at Belgium I met Isaac and we started talking. When I told him where I came it didn’t take long for us to figure out how intertwined our friends and all were and we talked about all kind of things. So, here I am, about to really move in with Isaac and we overheard the hunters talking about a group of weres they wanted to take down. Naturally, we followed.”

“When I left Beacon Hills I went to France with Chris Argent. I finished school there and then found a company who offered me a position linked with scholastics. I accepted and that’s how I found myself in Belgium since a new facility of the company opened there. Nolan had the internship at a partner corp and after I found out he came from Beacon Hills and knew Scott and the others we talked about everything. I had some talks with Argent every now and then but he didn’t give me weekly updates, so I missed large parts of the whole drama. What I know is that Scott got himself a Beta and that a pseudo-supernatural being, namely a chimera, had tried to kill Scott and take over his pack before redeeming himself. Did I sum that up correctly?”

Liam and Theo nodded. “Wait, so you met each other or you _met_ each other?” Theo suddenly asked and Nolan blushed at the implication. “No, no, Isaac’s like an older brother to me. It’s nice having someone to talk to and help me.” He studdered and Isaac chuckled.   
“Nolan reminds me a lot of myself. Like a little brother. It’s nice to give someone guidance and advice, actually.”  
Theo laughed. “Yeah, these young ones need all the advice they can get from us.” He mocked and Liam gasped in fake-annoyance and hit his stomach with the back of his hand. Theo gasped at the punch and shoved Liam away. “Fucking asshole!”  
Liam laughed. “Love you too.”

******  
They stayed up and talked the whole night. In the early morning hours Theo, Liam, and Isaac found themselves in the kitchen while Nolan and Maya slept on the couch. “Does Scott know that his Beta is an Alpha now?” Isaac asked while pouring milk into his coffee. Liam shook his head.  
“Please, don’t tell him.”  
“Relax, I haven’t talked to Scott in years. After everything, after Derek lost his Alpha spark again and all the jazz, I became kind of a member of Scott’s pack but then I fell for Allison and it brought tension between Scott and me. Yeah, and then she died and I left. I couldn’t stay in this town any longer. That’s my story with the McCall pack. The shortened version.” He shrugged and sipped his coffee.   
“I take a guess and say nobody knows you’re back in the States?” Theo said. Isaac shrugged. “Don’t think so. I have to travel a lot for my job, that’s why I asked Nolan if he wanted to share the apartment with me. I need someone to live there all the months I will be gone. It benefits us both.” 

“Makes sense.” Liam said and drank his coffee when there were several loud knocks at the door. Theo frowned after checking the clock and then went to answer the door. He had just opened it when Sadie swooshed past him and into the apartment. “Yeah, come in.” Theo muttered dryly and closed the door. 

“I could not sleep the entire night and thought about this over and over again. I just had to come here!” Sadie started without paying attention to Theo. “I thought about the wendigo and the hunters almost killing you and then all of us and I just could not ignore it.”

“Are those dancing marshmallows and dancing mugs filled with hot chocolate on your pajama pants?” Nolan asked and rubbed his eyes. He and Maya had been woken up by the sudden noise.

“My dancing cocoa and marshmallow pants are epic, okay? Because even when I’m sleeping, I have to slay.” Sadie told him and then went on to explain further. Liam grinned. Sadie was indeed still wearing pajamas, the cute pants and a light pink shirt. Then he tuned in again what she was saying. “I never helped anyone while using my wolf and I never cared so much about anyone except my parents. But it felt nice to help the girl and when I saw you following a clue and I feared you might get in trouble I could not ignore it. So I followed you yesterday. And tonight I tried to tell myself I could ignore it in the future but I failed in the end. Theo, you said I’ll either get involved or I have to leave. That makes sense and even though I’m deadly afraid I will screw up and everything will tumble down, I’m willing to take the risk.”

“Wait.” Liam said, a small smile playing around the corner of his mouth. “Are you saying, you want to join us?”

She fiddled with her hands. “I’m saying that, if the offer still stands, I would consider myself part of the Mountain Dew-Seattle-Dunbar pack?! I’m not promising I will be easy but I’m willing to try. You guys grew on me. I can’t let you go out there by yourselves.” She looked sheepishly at the group until Maya pumped both fists in the air. “Strike, I’m not the only girl anymore!”

Liam laughed and Sadie beamed at her. “Welcome to the pack. Want some coffee?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's crazy how anyone of you expected jealous Theo just because Sadie showed up. Can you read my mind? Cause that would be totally cool! What am I thinking right now? What will happen in the next chapter? Bets are on! Hope you enjoyed jealous Theo.   
> Who else is Liam when Theo flashes his abs? Raise your hands. I know I am for sure.   
> And yes, Liam is so deadly afraid of Theo dying, he carries an inhaler around. Just in case.  
> So, Sadie's part of the pack. I can tell you it won't be easy for her. She has a lot to learn but she is also very reliable and loyal to her friends. I mean, she saved their asses, right?  
> Oh, and what do you say to the new ally?^^


	11. The world keeps on turning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack is still figuring things out, Liam is still figuring out how to be a good Alpha and Theo faces an unexpected challenge. Will he win or will he give up? Sadie learns new things too and a new face shows up.

“So, Theo‘s hanging out with Isaac right now?“ Corey’s voice droned from the speaker of Liam’s phone he had placed on his desk since Liam himself was sorting out some old papers and things in his room and cleaning up a bit.

“Yeah, they do this quite often lately. I think it’s good Theo has somebody his age he can talk to. Someone who knew him before all this supernatural mess. They get along just great. It’s important to Theo.“  
“Someone his age?“ Corey asked with a laugh.  
"We are not that much younger but you know what I mean.“ Liam ripped a few papers apart and threw them in the trash bin.  
“Yeah, I get what you mean. So he’s with Isaac and you are on your own, alone at home?“  
“Hm. I had only a few classes today and so I have time for some other things. Valentina sent a big care package I still need to open. I know something with cinnamon is in there, it smells delicious.“  
“Yeah, I have to run anyway. I have to go to work. See ya, Liam.“  
“See ya, Cor.“

Liam hung up and cleaned the rest of the papers on his desk, then he wandered into the living room where he had placed the package. He sat down and swiftly opened it. A letter or rather a card was on top of everything else, signed by every pack member. Valentina had written she heard Liam also liked to bake from time to time, so she wanted to share some recipes with him. A small book with several recipes followed as well as various ingredients to make all of the things in the recipes. Liam could not help himself, his mouth watered while he read through it. He decided on a few things and then checked the kitchen to see what he needed to buy. Soon enough Liam was on his way to the store and then back again.

It was how Theo found him when he came home later. He had closed the door to their apartment and sniffed the air before glancing over at Liam in the open-plan kitchen. He had been about to shrug his jacket off, Summer surely had left and Autumn had arrived with chilly temperatures, rain, and strong breezes, but when he caught a real glimpse of Liam, he stopped dead in his tracks.  
“You cut your hair.“ He stated.  
Liam raised a hand to run it through his shorter strands but then stopped himself and rather just nodded. “Well, I had the time today and they were really getting long. I like this better now.“ His hair was still long enough to run his fingers through if he got too frustrated but it didn’t need as much fixing now as it had done before.  
“Looks good.“ Theo said, finally shrugging off his jacket and putting it away. He shuffled into the kitchen. “It smells delicious, what are you making?“  
“Valentina sent me some recipes and I got in the mood for baking again. Some cookies are in the oven, some are already cooling down. Keep your grabby hands away, they are still hot!“  
Theo pointed at the large pot on the stove. “And what’s that?“

Liam raised a mug. “Apple cider with special ingredients so it works on us too. She also gave me a recipe for that and I wanted to try it. It was fun to make.“ He giggled and sipped on it and Theo looked amused. “Are you drunk, puppy?“  
"Not drunk. Maybe tipsy. I can handle way more than before but this stuff is just too delicious. Here, try it!“ He held out the mug for Theo and the chimera took it and drank the remaining sip in the cup. “It’s really delicious.“ He agreed after a while and Liam stretched to gather a second mug and fill both of them with the alcoholic liquor. He raised his mug. “Cheers.“

Theo toasted with Liam and then sipped his apple cider. “You have flour on your face. Again.“ He suddenly noticed and raised a hand to brush it away from Liam’s face. And then he couldn’t resist to teasingly run his fingers through Liam‘s hair. “I thought you were making cookies, not a facial mask. How do you always manage to get flour on your cheekbones?“  
“Oh, that’s easy.“ Liam dipped his fingers into the fluor and flunked them at Theo, sprinkling the chimera’s cheek with it. “See?“  
Theo looked at him, eyes wide and mouth open in a comical gesture. “Oh no, you didn’t!“  
Liam grinned. “Oh yes, I did!“ He retaliated and Theo narrowed his eyes at him and grinned. “That means war, Dunbar!... I still hate that I cannot call you any other name than that!“  
That being said he threw some more flour at Liam and the young Alpha tried ducking but to no avail.

And thus a fluor battle was started. When it ended their stone-gray kitchen was more white than anything else and powdery. Liam and Theo were covered in flour and Theo pressed Liam against the counter, Liam’s wrist restrained with his hands. “Stop it!“ He said and Liam raised his chin in challenge. “No!“  
“Liam!“ Theo said firmly but his hazel eyes sparkled in amusement. Liam chuckled. They looked at each other, still testing out if one would give up, but both were stubborn and wanted to stand their grounds.

Liam’s resistance only melted when he noticed how handsome Theo looked, even covered in flour and with tousled hair. He let go and Theo grinned, enjoying his little victory. He let go of Liam’s wrists but didn’t move away from the younger wolf. They stayed pressed together, looking at each other and Liam felt everything else cease to exist. Lost in each other’s eyes and Liam caught himself wishing they could just kiss. But that meant putting their friendship in danger for just a little bit of fun and he couldn‘t do that.  
So he smiled softly and nudged Theo’s shoulder. “Want to play a game or something? We haven’t done this in ages.”

Anything to get out of this situation. Theo seemed to look disappointed at first but then he caught himself and let Liam go, following him to the living room. “Sure. What game do you have in mind?”  
Liam shrugged and just pulled a game from the shelf, not really caring. His eyes landed on the box. Parcheesi. Theo made an amused face. “Isn’t that the game you had an emotional outburst over last time?” He teased and Liam let out a little relieved sigh. They were back at teasing, he could do that.  
He swatted Theo with the box and carried it over the table to set the board up. Theo joined him and not soon after, they were playing. 

It was really nice to spend time with just Theo. Liam loved his new pack, loved the additions to it but having his anchor for himself, joke around while playing a game, was really nice too.

“We really should do stuff like this more often. I missed you.” Liam confessed after a while and sipped his drink.  
Theo chuckled incredulously. “Liam, we spend almost all of our time together.”  
“Yeah but that’s not the same. I love the girls but spending time with you alone is great, okay? You’re my anchor, one of my best friends, my first Beta. And something we stopped doing since I became an Alpha.” Liam fiddled with a loose thread on his sleeve and shrugged. He tried but in moments like these, he wasn’t very good at expressing his feelings with words.  
Theo reached out and squeezed his leg. “I know what you mean. I kind of missed you too.” He reflected. “Tell you what, why don’t we take one day in the week where we do something together? Just the two of us? It doesn’t always have to be the same weekday but once a week, we do something together. Is that a compromise?”  
Liam considered Theo’s words and then he nodded with a happy smile. “I’d like that, yeah.”  
Theo smiled back. “Okay, puppy, it’s settled then.”

******  
“Hold on, you and Theo have decided to have one day a week to spend time all alone? Just the two of you?” Sadie asked slowly, giving Liam a curious look while obviously trying to understand what he just told her.  
Liam nodded. “Yep. We figured we need that.”  
“You’re having a date night.” Sadie said matter-of-factly and grabbed some fries to eat them.   
“It’s not a date night! Just the anchors hanging out!” Liam defended himself - and Theo- immediately.   
Sadie raised both hands. “You and Theo are having one day a week reserved for just the two of you to go out, have fun and do whatever it is you precious puppies do. Pretty sure that’s a date night.”  
“It’s not!” Liam persisted. 

“Yeah? Maya!” Sadie addressed the dark haired werewolf who just arrived at their table. “Liam and Theo have decided on a day per week for just the two of them to hang out and do stuff together. What do you say?”  
“You finally decided on a date night?” Maya asked while taking off her coat and her scarf.  
Liam groaned and Sadie laughed triumphantly. “Introducing the two of you to each other was the greatest mistakes of my life!” The young Alpha muttered. “It is not a date night!”  
“It is!” Sadie and Maya, who now sat next to the blonde, said at the same time and high-fived. “Partners in crime!” They said in unison once more and laughed. Liam sighed. “It’s not a date night.” He mumbled one last time. 

“Whatever you want to call it, just remember to use protection. Safe sex is so important.” Maya said in a solemn, mature voice and Liam gasped.   
“MAYA!”  
The girl ignored him and Sadie jumped on the bandwagon. “But they are both supernatural and can’t get pregnant either so no fear of pregnancies or illnesses. So, really, boys, just go along and have fun!” She told Liam like a lovely aunt.   
Liam gaped at his female Betas. “You two are the worst! You deserve each other! One as bad as the other!”

“Who is bad?” Theo had appeared and sat next to Liam, causing Sadie and Maya to grin and giggle.   
“Ignore those two, they’re just being silly today.”  
“So, like always?” Theo sassed and Liam laughed out loud while both girls gasped.  
“Theodore!” Sadie said and sniffled.  
“You know, Lee’s the only one allowed to call me that and not die a very slow and very painful death.” Theo told her with a grim smile.   
“You’re scary sometimes, you know that, Raeken?” Sadie said with a shake of her head.   
Theo laughed. “Good!”

“I love that you have various nicknames for each other. You are really close.” Maya complimented them with a smile.  
Theo shrugged but he smiled. “Yeah, well, it happened over time. And since I’m one of the few people to call him Lee, I like it immensely.”  
Liam chuckled. “The only thing he hates is that I can call him Theodore and he can’t retaliate.”  
Theo groaned. “Yeah. If you had a middle name at least, I could use that one, but unfortunately, Liam is too short to use it against you.” He complained.   
Liam grinned and ate some fries. “I actually never said I don’t have one. You just assumed.” He corrected nonchalantly, tone as casual as if he was talking about the weather. And yet he got a spectacular reaction out of Theo.  
The chimera spun around to face him so fast Liam was worried he gave himself whiplash. Theo’s hazel eyes were wide and he actually struggled to get out his words in the beginning. “You’re kidding me right now, right? You don’t have a middle name!” He narrowed his eyes at Liam. “You’re fucking with me! We’ve been friends for years and I lived with you for almost as long. I would know if you had a middle name! I would have heard it at least once!”  
Liam snickered. “What are you willing to bet?” He challenged his anchor and looked at him, a shit-eating grin on his face. Theo glared. “Nothing. You don’t have a middle name. You’re called Liam Dunbar!”  
The nineteen-year-old raised an eyebrow. “Nope.” He said after a little stare off. “I just never use my middle name, not even when signing something. It’s there but almost non-existent, you know?”

Sadie and Maya laughed at the face Theo made. The chimera literally gaped at him and Liam could chalk this up as one of the few occasions he made the older speechless.   
“Theo’s world just exploded.” Sadie giggled and Theo glared at her for a short moment before returning his attention towards Liam again. “Really?”  
“Yeah, really. No lie.” Liam told him and Theo tilted his head slightly to listen to his heart. When he heard no lie, he looked positively thrilled.  
“What is it?”  
“Not gonna tell you.” Liam declined with a shake of his head. “You have to work a little bit for that, T.”  
Liam was having fun with this and patted Theo’s cheek. “You’re sneaky and you have your ways if you want something. Let’s see how long it takes for you to figure it out.” He put a challenge up for Theo. The twenty-one-year-old looked taken aback and growled slightly. “Come on, Liam!”  
“I know how much you love a good challenge, Dore. So, do your best. If you win, you will get a reward of your choice.” The Alpha chuckled.   
Theo rolled his eyes. “Give me the first letter at least.”  
But Liam stayed stubborn. “Nope. Where would be the fun in that?”

******  
Liam had not expected the challenge he put up for Theo to be the cause of so much fun. Because Theo, being the stubborn fucker he was, had tried coaxing out any information for the first few days and when Liam didn’t butch, he started listing random names. When that didn’t work either, his name choices turned more and more absurd. Theo seemingly had decided to drive Liam mad with assigning the weirdest names to the younger one. Liam had the time of his life with that. 

“Renato.”  
Liam looked up from his homework and smirked. “No.”  
“Birch.”  
“What? That’s not a name!” Liam said with a laugh.  
“It is.” Theo raised his phone to show Liam the website he was currently looking for names. Liam grinned and Theo sighed before scrolling further down the list.  
“Bogart.” “No.”  
The young Alpha returned to finishing his homework while Theo continued to bombard him with names, one more ridiculous than the last one. 

“Seriously, you know my mom, do you really think she would choose such a name for me?” Liam inquired after he had finished it.  
“Who knows? Some parents are so overjoyed with the birth of their child, they go crazy. I was almost called Erwin.”  
“Erwin?” Liam chortled.   
“Theodore Erwin, yeah.”  
Liam laughed. “Sweet. That would have been fun to tease you with.”  
“I hate you!”

Theo looked at Liam. “You know, I could just wait until you fall asleep and then take a look at your ID.”  
“You know, I will have my ID hidden so you can’t cheat like that.”  
“I could just tackle you and overpower you so I can grab your wallet and your ID to take a look at it in that case.”  
Liam tilted his head. “Overpower me? That’s very ambitious, Theodore. Cute.”  
The chimera growled playfully and flashed his eyes. “I’m not cute.”  
“Nah, you are, believe me.” Liam grinned at Theo, happy to joke around with his friends like that.

******  
Liam leaned against Theo’s truck and played with his phone while he waited for the rest of his pack to show up. Sadie and Maya appeared together. The girls had become best friends pretty fast so Liam wasn’t really surprised by that.  
“Hey, Liam, Sadie and I were talking about the wendigo. Any news from the bitch?” Maya started the conversation. Liam put his phone away and shook his head.  
“No, but that’s why I called you here. Theo’s trying to sniff her out right now, if he manages we go after her.”  
“Theo’s sniffing her out?” Sadie made a surprised sound. “Don’t get me wrong but aren’t our senses better?”  
“Usually yes but not when he’s fully shifted. Then his senses are better by far.”  
“He can do a full shift???” Maya and Sadie asked at the same time and Liam nodded. “Okay, I’m officially jealous.” Sadie mumbled, making Liam chuckled.

He looked around and spotted the black wolf trotting over the dark parking lot. “There he is.” He announced and Sadie and Maya were amazed by the animal.  
“He’s such a pretty wolf.” Sadie cooed.  
“Can I pet him?” Maya asked and Liam snorted. “If you want to lose your hand. He hates that.”  
She hastily withdrew her hand as Theo approached. A few feet away from them, he stopped and swiftly shifted back. Liam had always admired how easy Theo made it look. To shift between human and animal, like it was a piece of cake. Now he knelt on the ground and slowly got to his feet and Liam didn’t miss the approving glances Maya and Sadie gave his friend’s body. He whistled sharply.  
“Hey, eyes up, both of you!”  
Sadie and Maya startled but straightened their backs, eyes shooting up to Theo’s face. The chimera grinned and Liam rolled his eyes. “And you, put some clothes on!”

Theo chuckled and walked past Liam and the girls to gather his clothes from the truck. Sadie and Maya looked surreptitiously at his backside and Liam growled. “Could you stop being two horny perverts? That would be lovely.”  
“You can't blame them for enjoying the view, puppy. Let them have fun.” Theo teased while he slipped into his jeans. Liam glanced over his shoulder and only turned around after he saw Theo was half dressed.   
“You are incredibly conceited. You’re not _that_ good-looking.”  
The scoff coming from Maya made Liam sigh. “Says the right one.” The activist muttered and Liam ignored his first female Beta.   
“Did you find a trace of the wendigo girl?” He asked hopefully.  
But Theo shook his head. “Just some older traces, days old. She’s still around but nothing could lead us to her right now.”  
Liam sighed. That would have been too perfect. “Okay, we keep our eyes open! I don’t want any dead bodies on this campus.”  
“But in the streets of Seattle dead bodies are okay?” Sadie asked sarcastically, making Theo laugh. Liam nudged her. “Don’t get too cheeky, little blonde Beta!”  
He scolded but then laughed too. “Come on let’s grab something to eat, I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”

“Okay...Mingus.” Theo said.  
“Are you still trying to figure out his middle name?” Sadie asked, kind of incredulous. Theo shrugged. “Our Alpha is a stubborn bastard!”  
Liam laughed. “It’s the most entertaining thing ever, seriously. But no, not Mingus.”  
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just call Liam’s mom and ask her?” Maya suggested. Liam shook his head.  
“Called her and told her about this little bet. She laughed for solid five minutes and then promised me that neither she nor my stepdad would say anything.”  
“Okay, what about your dad?”  
Liam’s face darkened slightly. “I don’t talk about my father. My dad is my stepdad. I have no idea where my biological father even is now.”  
Maya’s lips turned into an Oh. “I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t be. You had no idea.” Liam brushed it off. 

******  
“Yes, sir, thank you for your call. Have a nice evening.” Liam bid goodbye to the dean of the university and hung up. It took all but a few milliseconds and then he started dancing; firstly in his room and then through the hallway and into their kitchen. Theo chose this moment to enter the apartment and chuckled amusedly when he caught Liam’s happy dance.   
“And here we have a happy Alpha puppy in its natural habitat.” He announced to Sadie and Maya who stepped into the apartment after Theo. Both women laughed and Liam grinned but didn’t stop his happy dance. “We’re having a new coach! We’re having a new coach! The lacrosse time has a new coach!” He sang, making his Betas laugh.   
“I thought you liked coaching the team.” Sadie giggled.   
“I did but I can’t play and at the same time coach the time during a match. So this is fantastic.“ Liam was happy and beamed at his pack. “Thursday I can meet him and talk about everything I already did with the team.”

Liam was so happy about this, he wrapped both arms around Theo’s neck and pressed a smack on his anchor’s left cheek. Sadie and Maya broke out into hysterical fits of giggles and Liam was sure he saw Theo actually blushing. 

Now the chimera gently pushed him away and used it to try and coax any hint regarding Liam’s middle name out of him.  
“Is it longer or shorter? Come on, Lee, give me a hint here! You’re in such a good mood, don’t be like that!”  
Liam pursed his lips and tried to hide his delighted laugh. “Okay. One hint.”  
“Yes!" Theo rejoiced.   
“It’s not a very common name.”  
Theo gave him a  _‘Bitch please’_ look. “Really? That’s it? That’s the hint?”  
“What? Don’t want it to be too easy, do we? If you win, you get everything from me after all, whatever you want.”

******  
Liam entered the locker room and made his way towards the coach’s office.  He heard the voice of the dean and an unfamiliar voice, so he knocked at the doorframe of the open door. The dean, an elderly man with white hair, and an afro-american man in his mid-thirties were talking and turned around to face him.   
“Ah, Mr. Dunbar, glad you are here. This is our new coach,  Roderick Mays. Mr. Mays, this is our team captain, Liam Dunbar.”  
Coach Mays reached out and shook Liam’s hand with a warm smile. “Glad you’re here, Mr. Dunbar. I’ll finish the talk with Dean Simmons and then I will be all yours.”  
“Oh yeah, I need to get something from my locker anyway, so take your time.” Liam said with a smile.   
“Will do. Oh, if you see a young whirlwind running around, that’s my eight-year-old son Keegan. My wife’s appointment took longer and so I brought him with me.”

Liam smiled and let the two men to their talk while walking to his locker and opening it. He exchanged some things, one of his jerseys he just had washed with the one he wore last practice. He just had closed his locker again when he spotted the little boy. He watched Liam with curious brown eyes and the young Alpha smiled at him. “Hey, you’re the coach’s son, right? Your name’s Keegan, right?”

Keegan nodded and stepped closer to politely shake Liam’s hand. Liam almost melted. Polite little kids were so cute. He gently shook Keegan’s hand and then the little boy sniffed the air. He let go of Liam’s hand and his eyes glowed gold while he growled playfully, showing off his little fangs. Liam chuckled happily, that was even cuter even though it was surprising. He looked around to see if it was safe, then he looked back at Keegan and let his eyes flash red. Keegan gasped and then he beamed at Liam before running off to his dad. 

Liam chuckled and slowly walked after him. The dean had left and Keegan was coloring in his father’s office. He beamed at Liam again and Liam winked at the boy, before slowly sniffing. The boy smelled like a wolf but his dad didn’t and so Liam decided to not mention it for now. Maybe the coach had no idea about his son being not entirely human? Liam would not be responsible for a crisis in the Mays’ household.   
“So, Mr. Dunbar, the dean already told me you took over to coach the team.”  
“Please, just call me Liam. Mr. Dunbar...that’s my father.”  
Coach Mays smiled and nodded. “Okay, I respect that. Liam it is. Now, want to tell me what you already did with the team? I want to see where you stand in your opinion.”  
Liam nodded, sat down and started to tell the coach everything he did with the team since he enrolled at the university. 

******  
The credits from the last movie rolled over the screen and Liam pulled the blanket tighter around his body. He was slumped on one couch, half resting against the backrest of the couch and half against Theo with whom he was curled under the blankets. Sadie and Maya were curled on the other couch. Having a pack movie night, watching four movies surrounded by warm blankets, having tasty snacks and just relaxing had made them all quite sleepy. The heater was on since it was rainy and cold outside, adding to the comfort. Theo had one arm slung over the backrest of the couch and had he been playing with a few strands of Liam’s hair in the beginning, he went on to softly run his fingers through Liam’s hair after a while. The soft touches felt good and Liam caught himself leaning into the touch several times. Thankfully Theo never seemed to notice because he didn’t stop caressing Liam. But the longer they sat like this, the harder it was for Liam to not wrap his arms around Theo’s waist, close his eyes and fall asleep snuggled against the chimera.

“Already asleep, puppy?” Theo asked softly and Liam shook his head.   
“If I said almost, would you carry me to bed?” He asked back.  
“Yours or mine?” Theo asked with a chuckle.  
“Yours because we are gentlemen and let the girls sleep in my bed while we share yours.” Liam answered while yawning.   
“Aw, Liam, you are the sweetest.” Maya muttered somewhere in her blanket cocoon. Sadie groaned. “Can’t we stay here? I’m too tired and too comfortable to move.”   
“Agreed.” Theo said and since he was curled up with Liam, he used his arm to wrap it around Liam and pull him close. Liam followed willingly, far too tired to put up any fight.   
“Sleeping on the couch is uncomfortable.” He mumbled but his eyes dropped shut nonetheless and he snuggled closer to Theo’s body. Maybe he should go to bed but Theo and Sadie were right, this was too comfy to move. And so Liam drifted off.

When he woke up on the next morning, he found himself almost on top of Theo who had also fallen asleep, face hidden in the crook of Theo’s neck while the chimera’s arm was wrapped around him and kept Liam close to his body. Liam moved slightly and looked over to where Maya and Sadie were still sleeping. Liam yawned and ran a hand through his hair. Theo beneath him stirred.  
“Stop moving, I’m trying to sleep longer.” He complained softly and Liam smiled softly.  
“There is the sleepy puppy again.”  
Theo’s hold on him tightened and Liam chuckled softly. “You’re really not planning on letting me get up, huh?”  
“No. You’re warm and comfortable and if you get up it will get cold. I hate the cold. So you have to stay. First Beta prerogative.”  
“Hm.” Liam considered this and then snuggled closer to Theo again. His eyes closed again and not soon after, Liam was asleep again, lulled back into dreamland by Theo’s steady heartbeat and his scent.

When he woke up the second time, he was still curled up against Theo but this time he had to get up and use the bathroom. When he shuffled back into the living room afterwar, he heard his cell phone ringing and went to get it.   
Despite him walking into his room and closing the door to not disturb the three others, they were all awake when Liam ended the call and walked back into the living room, a stormy look on his face. 

“Scott canceled his visit.” He announced before one of them could even ask. He walked into the kitchen and put his hands on the counter. Scott’s call had made him feel all kinds of negative emotions and he really tried not to explode. The Betas shared a look and then slowly got up to join him.

“Why?” Theo asked.  
“Because Lydia helped Malia to prepare a surprise for Scott and coincidentally it’s on the same weekend that Scott wanted to come here. The only weekend he would have the time to come here actually. It’s okay, Lydia had no idea he wanted to come here and of course, a weekend with his girlfriend is more important.” Liam tried to make it sound like he was understanding.   
He obviously failed because Sadie put a hand on his. “Liam, it’s okay to be disappointed and angry. He promised you something and he broke his promise.”  
“Yeah, well, life still goes on and the world doesn’t stop turning. Scott McCall is a very busy person. We have to accept that!” Liam said coldly and pushed himself away from the counter.  
“Where are you going?” Theo asked.  
“Taking a shower. A cold, cold shower!” Liam growled and slammed the bathroom door shut. 

The cold water helped him clear his head a bit and he could breathe a bit better again. There was still so much raging inside him. He was angry, disappointed, sad, lost, everything at once and it was overwhelming. After his shower he dried himself off and pressed his face into his towel, stifling a scream. God, he hated to feel so bad!

But then he walked into his room and got dressed and then he walked out and all three Betas were in the hallway, waiting for him. “What?” Liam asked suspiciously and Sadie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Maya was the next to hug him.  
“We still love you, Alpha!” They both chorused while clinging to him and despite his bad mood, Liam had to smile, even more when Sadie cleared her throat in an impatient way, causing Theo to sigh.  
“I have been taking part in more group hugs since joining this pack than ever before in my entire life.” He softly complained but followed and also stepped to them and hugged his pack members, especially Liam. 

“Thanks, guys, you are the best!” Liam told them softly. 

******  
Liam knew his pack cared. It took some of the burdens of being an Alpha away but he still could not shake the disappointment from Scott’s cancellation. It sat deep in his bones and it probably would take a long time to get over it.   
Sadie seemed to notice because she showed up one day after classes and tugged at Liam’s sleeve. “Okay, so I know you need to take your mind off this whole thing, and that’s what I’m here for. And because Maya is busy and I’m bored but that’s beside the point. We do whatever you want to do, just to make you a bit happier again.”  
Liam looked at her. What she said sounded legit and he already knew what he wanted to do. “Okay, come on, I know what we can do.”

Said it and Sadie followed willingly. Yet not half an hour later she made a face. “I expected you wanting to see a movie or go shopping, eat your body weight in ice cream or whatever, not _that._ ”  
“It will be fun. Lacrosse had become my sport to power me out and get over the negative feelings. It could also help you with your IED, you know? My dad taught me how to play for that reason, to get better control.”  
“Does it work?”  
“It does, not always perfectly but it does a good job.”  
Liam nodded over to the field. “Come on, or are you afraid you’re too girly for this sport?” He teased Sadie and she narrowed her green eyes and huffed.  
“If I wanted, I could play this sport!”  
“Yeah? Prove it!”

No sooner said than done and Sadie found herself on the lacrosse field where Liam explained every rule to her. To Liam, it was fun explaining things to someone who never played this sport before. Sadie was a quick learner and asked a lot of intelligent questions and soon they could move to the action of blocking. 

After landing on the ground several times, the blonde werewolf growled and her eyes flashed. “How am I suppose to push you out of the way? You’re an Alpha, you’re stronger, you have more experience than me!” She complained.   
“You should not push me out of the way, you should stop me from getting further. Which is also a very good philosophy for life. You don’t always have to overcome the obstacle, sometimes you just need to stand your ground. They will give up after a while. So, stand your ground, barely move and you will see what happens.” Liam held out his hand to pull her to her feet again.   
“Can I use my wolf?”  
“If you want to be responsible for a human breaking his or her bones, sure.”  
She sniffed. “Of course I don’t want to be responsible for that.”  
“There you have your answer. See why this is so good for your control? I promise you the guilt will eat you alive when you know another person got hurt because you were too brutal and went with too much force. Not a good feeling.”

Sadie made a face. She got what Liam was trying to tell her. “Okay, got it. Control’s important but I already knew that. It’s the problem I have in case you forgot.”  
“I didn’t. I know we still have to work on that one.” Liam said softly and handed her the lacrosse stick. “Come on, fighter, we are not done yet.”

Sadie sighed but then she smiled and followed Liam’s instructions because frankly? She was having fun. Lacrosse had been the last thing on her mind but she could not deny it was fun to powering herself out on the field and her competitiveness came out completely. Liam led her on just great and when they were done, both were sweaty but happy. 

“I usually just work out in the gym or go for a jog, but this was actually really fun.” She admitted.  
Liam smiled at her. “Could see yourself playing lacrosse more often?”  
“Yeah. I mean, why not? I didn’t expect it to be that much fun and it’s a really good workout. It’s lots of fresh air which does wonders for my skin too. And the jerseys, the blue and the white, are actually quite fashionable too. Good color choices.”  
“You are the first one to make lacrosse a fashion statement.”  
“Honey, everything I do is a fashion statement.” She snapped her fingers. “Because fashion, my looks, are the only thing I can control. I leave the house and my inside’s are a total mess. Lack of control, anger issues, stress. But on the outside, I have everything on point. Hair, makeup, outfits, everything is exactly how I want it to be and how it should be. Everything is on point.”   
“Sooner or later you will figure out how to have control and then even your wolf will be on point.” Liam bolstered her.  
“What makes you so sure of that?”  
“Because I learned control too and you are more stubborn than me if that’s even possible. So you will manage, I know that.”  
Sadie smiled and hugged him. “You’re a great Alpha, Liam...Would you tell me your middle name? I promise I’m not saying anything to Theo!”  
Liam grinned. “No. Have to wait until Theo figures it out.”  
“You love to see him getting worked up over that, huh?”  
“Given how often he frustrated me in the last couple of years, you have no idea.” Liam looked innocently but his grin betrayed him. 

******  
Liam was on his way towards his next class when Maya suddenly appeared next to him. “Hey, Liam, can I bring a friend with me next pack meeting? I know it’s usually just pack but since we hang out every day and I rarely got to have time with her, I figured that would not be too bad. She knows about the supernatural too so we can be ourselves around her.”  
Liam shrugged. “Sure, bring her along, no problem.”  
Maya smiled. “Thanks, Liam. By the way, my bet’s on you.”  
“What bet?”  
“Regarding the middle name thing. Sadie’s bet is Theo will find a sneaky way to get the information, my bet is you will win and he will give up.” She grinned widely and then saluted before walking to her class. Liam stared at her, then he shook his head. His pack was full of crazy people.

******  
_Liam frantically looked around. His heart was racing and he heard the blood rush in his ears. It was almost pitch black around him, water was surrounding him and was all up to his waist, and it only fueled his panic when he noticed he was in a  well similar to the one he had thrown into shortly after Scott bit him. He raised his head, several feet above him he saw the opening of the well. It was dimly lit as if it was already dawning and Liam called for help._

_“Scott! Scott, do you hear me? SCOTT!! THEO!!! ANYBODY!!! HELP ME!” He yelled but he heard just the splashing of the water when he moved around. The walls of the well were too smooth for climbing and even when Liam tried it, he always slid back into the water and called out for help once more.  
_

_But then a person leaned over the opening of the well. It wasn’t Scott as expected, it was Liam himself, eyes glowing red.  
_ _“Get yourself together! Scott isn’t here, he won’t come! You need to rely on yourself to get out. Your life can’t stop everytime he cancels on you! You’re an Alpha yourself, Liam, get your shit together! I know you’re disappointed and angry and you think he obviously doesn’t care about you at all, but you cannot let this make your world stand still! You cannot sulk and hide, I know it’s hard, but you have a pack to protect, people to take care of. Stop whining and calling for help when the only person you need help from is yourself!” He called out to his self stuck in the well._

_The Liam in the well bit his lip. He had no idea if he would be able to get out on his own. “Liam, life still goes on, Scott coming or not! So for fuck’s sake, stop doubting yourself so much. Him being here or not doesn’t change anything. You lived months without him being in the known about your Alpha status and yes it’s a bummer he’s not coming, but get a grip!” The one outside the well told him and it caused Liam inside to try and climb the walls of the well. It was hard but he managed to find some edges to grip on and pull himself higher._

_And then he was suddenly out of the well and on the forest ground, his Alpha self in front of him. “The world keeps on turning and it was like this for months. Why stop it all now? Don’t focus so much on one person but rather on everything you already accomplished and the people who still need your help. They are important right now. Everything else will fall into place if you believe in yourself and stop doubting yourself.”_

_While he talked, his human form disappeared more and more and then suddenly the wolf was in front of him, looking at Liam with glowing red eyes. Liam sighed. “I know you’re right, but it’s hard. Things like that throw me in for a loop.” The wolf huffed and Liam sighed again. “I’m working on it! I promise I do!” And obviously, his inner wolf believed him because he stepped closer and pushed his head against Liam's hand. Liam again felt the faint brush of the soft fur and smiled softly, stroking it._

And then he blinked and found himself right in the park close to his apartment, kneeling on the ground and slowly coming back from his dream. He seemed to look a bit lost because a young woman his age stopped and looked at him in a funny way. She wore a blue beanie and her blonde hair fell over her shoulders in waves. Her blue jacket was fitting her perfectly but her white scarf she was was twice as long as she and she had it draped around her neck to be shielded from the cold temperatures. She wore plain dark jeans and beige boots.   
“Are you okay?” She inquired.  
“Me? Uhm, yeah, yeah, I am okay.” Liam jumped to his feet. “Did you see something?” He asked back. Bad enough he had been sleepwalking again, it would be even worse if she had heard him talk or pet the air or whatever.  
“No? Should I have seen something?” She asked, unsure of what to do with this situation. This was awkward.  
“No! Good. I should go!”   
“Yeah, me too.” She pointed in the opposite direction and both hastily parted ways, happy to end this strange conversation. 

He walked home because even for an Alpha the Autumn temperature and the rain were chilly since he was dressed only in his PJs. When he stepped inside his apartment Theo looked up from his cereal. He took in Liam’s appearance and sighed. “Do I need to lock the door to keep you from sleepwalking?”  
“Ask that my wolf. Not my fault he feels the need to guide me around town to have a heartfelt talk with me.” Liam muttered and walked into the kitchen to fix himself a cup of hot coffee. He warmed his fingers on the mug.  
“Your wolf can talk?” Theo asked irritated and Liam groaned.  
“Shut up, it’s complicated.”   
“Are you okay?” Theo asked and took his hoodie jacket from where he hat put it on the counter yesterday to drape it around Liam’s shoulders. “You’re as cold as an ice cube!”

“I will be okay, I think. It’s just...Scott canceling was a bummer and while I got it, it made me think that he maybe doesn’t care about me anymore. It made me doubt myself because I felt irrelevant. Does that make sense?”  
Theo nodded and Liam continued. “I love what we have here. Our pack, our Betas who are struggling but trying so hard, and I don’t want to miss any of that. I know...I hope I am a good Alpha for you guys because you deserve one. And my wolf made me realize that even though Scott doesn’t come, the world doesn’t stop turning. It won’t come crashing down, you know? It’s been months since I became an Alpha and it was my own request to tell Scott face to face, so that’s my problem. I could always call and put him on the spot but I don’t want to. I want to make it personal, but when he just doesn’t come here, I have to accept that. I still love Scott as Alpha and as an older brother, his approval means everything to me, but as long as we have no chance to meet, I have to continue being the Alpha for you guys. Without self-doubts and insecurities.”

Liam sipped on his coffee when he ended, and Theo chuckled. “Your inner wolf surely has some good insights. I’d love to meet him one day. He seems more mature than you.” He mocked.  
“Idiot!” Liam retaliated and nudged Theo in the rips with his elbow.   
“Your idiot.” Theo corrected. “Godfrey.”  
“Oh god, no! What do you think my mom smoked when she named me?”

******  
“I want a large pizza with pepper, broccoli, asparagus, and olives.” Sadie ordered. Theo wrote that down. “Liam? What about you?”  
“Large pizza with salami and ham, please. Nolan sent a text, a tuna pizza for him. Large. He’s stuck in traffic.”  
“Okay.” Theo also wrote that down when somebody knocked at the door, Sadie opened it. Maya stepped in, followed by her friend. “Hey, guys, this is Ever.”

Ever waved in the round and then she spotted Liam and grinned. “Park boy.” She greeted him and Liam chuckled.   
“Nature girl.” He replied.  
“You know each other?” Maya asked surprised.  
“We met after I woke up in the park after yet another sleepwalking encounter.” Liam explained.   
Ever snickered. “If I had known you were part of Maya’s pack I would have introduced myself differently upon first meeting you.”  
“Actually.” Maya began. “He’s not only part of the pack. That’s Liam, he’s the Alpha.”  
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry!” Ever said honestly. Liam waved it off. “Nah, it’s alright. I don’t expect anybody to bow in front of me just because of my status.”

“I heard so much about you. That means you are Theo.” Theo nodded. “Maya, you never mentioned Theo and Liam being that handsome. And you are Sadie. As beautiful and as fashionable as Maya described you.” Ever went on to assign the names. Sadie beamed at her. “Speaking of fashionable: I love your belt.”  
“Oh, thank you, I made it myself.” Ever said happily and played with the belt hanging around her waist.  
“How much do I need to pay you for you to make me one of those too?” Sadie asked.  
“Nothing, really. I like making things like that. I can make you one, no problem.”

Maya made a face and moved to Theo and Liam. “Fashion, so not my topic. I’d rather stick with you guys. But I knew Ever and Sadie would get along. Ever was the one to make the potion when Theo was sick by the way.” She told Liam and Theo. Liam smiled gratefully at Ever.  
“You probably saved Theo’s life with that. Thank you, Ever. I owe you.”  
Theo followed with expressing his gratitude. “Yeah, thank you.”  
“Nah, I’m good with herbs and when I heard he struggled with wolfsbane poisoning it was the least I could do to help.”

Sadie tilted her head. “You are something too, right? Not a werewolf, but you have a certain smell.”  
Ever exhaled loudly. “I’m a witch.” She then confessed.  
“A witch? Like Harry Potter or more like Charmed?” Theo inquired. He never met a witch before.  
“I’m still figuring out what I can do but for now I’d say I'm a mix between Charmed and Bonnie Bennett.”  
“Well, that’s a combination determined to kick ass!” Sadie said approvingly and she made everyone laugh. 

“Maya, Ever, we wanted to order pizza. What pizza do you want?” Theo asked them, waving the paper he had wrote down everyone’s orders.   
“I’d like a four cheese pizza, please.” Maya ordered for herself. “Hey, any news about our wendigo?”  
“Wendigo?” Ever asked. “Pizza with anchovies for me, please.”   
“There is this wendigo girl lurking around campus and we’re trying to track her but it seems she’s always a step ahead of us. But we keep our ears and eyes open, if she shows up again we will stop her.” Liam answered Maya’s and Ever’s question.   
“You don’t like wendigos very much, huh?” Ever guessed.  
“A wendigo was the reason I was bitten in the first place and even though some great things came from it, I have kind of a personal vendetta against wendigos.” Liam muttered.   
“Understandable.” The young witch said with a small smile. Liam smiled back and nodded his head. 

Another knock on the door and when Sadie opened the door, Nolan stepped in.  
“Finally! I was starving!” Theo called out and dialed the number of the pizza place.   
“Yeah, hello to you too.” Nolan muttered and laughed. 

Suddenly Liam remembered something and disappeared into his room. When he came back he threw a blue shirt at Sadie. “O’Mara! Catch!”  
She caught it and looked down on the jersey with her name and the number nine on it. “No way!”  
“I talked to the coach and he’s okay with you becoming part of the team. You may not play first line immediately but I told him you’re good, so we’re giving it a try.” Liam said with a smile. Sadie squealed and hugged the jersey to her chest.  
“You two on the same lacrosse team? I’m an atheist but even I would pray for your opponents.” Theo said thoughtfully. 

* * *

Author's note:

I was asked about faceclaims for Maya and Sadie so here you go:

**Maya**  

**Sadie**  

And that's **Ever**  

Also have some examples of how Liam looks now with his cut hair:

     

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter was a bit hard because I caught a cold and it was hard to concentrate on thinking. I still hope you like it nonetheless.  
> Liam's middle name: If you want, you are free to write your guess in the comments and we will see how close you came to the right one.  
> Thiam cuddles, yay! I'm a sucker for that.  
> And yeah, Scott canceled. You didn't expect me to make it that easy, right? We have to wait a little bit longer.  
> Liam and his wolf, a dream team...Get it dream?? ...Sorry, that worked in my mind.  
> Ah yes, Sadie and Liam. Liam may have to do something with the fact that she got number nine on her jersey...Who knows ;-)


	12. Soul Flames, pack bonds, and tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack faces their first real challenge as a pack and it leaves an impact on all of them.

Liam bit in his croissant and then continued reading while chewing the bite he just took. He was still engrossed with the Alpha’s journal Byron gave him. So much history filled with experience reports and Liam loved that he was a part of this now. He was still so early in the history of the pack but he had already learned from the former Alphas.

“Hey, can I sit with you?“

Liam looked up from the journal and looked at Ever who stood there, coffee in one hand and a plate with a piece of pumpkin pie in the other. He nodded and gesticulated towards the empty chair while swallowing. “Sure, have a seat.“  
She smiled gratefully and slid into the seat. Nodding over to the journal, she made a curious face. “Mind telling me what you’re reading?“  
“Byron gave me this when I took over as Alpha. It’s a journal written by every Alpha oft he Morning Dew Pack full of experiences and lessons. It’s truly amazing. I like history and this is better than anything I ever read.“  
“Because you’re part of it.“ She smiled. “My family cares a lot about tradition and learning from the elders as well, so I get that.“  
“They do?“ Liam asked. Since Maya brought her along, Ever had been present everytime the pack hung out but since now Liam never had a real chance to talk to her. She now nodded and elaborated.  
“My family has strong ties to nature. Since decades my anchors used herbs and everything nature has to offer to heal and help. Spiritual beings, that’s what they call themselves. Shamans. And a lot of my ancestors were emissaries for different packs that’s why we know about the supernatural.“  
“Were they all witches?“  
Ever chuckled. “No, not at all. I wasn’t aware I was a witch until I hit puberty. And suddenly I could do things others could not do. Move things without touching them, making things react in an unusual way. Only due to research I found out some of my ancestors had been witches, but not all. It’s all a bit blurry and I still have to figure out most things by myself though.“  
“Welcome to the club.“ Liam said with a smile and Ever laughed. She took a sip of her coffee. “But you seem to be quite good at figuring things out. I mean, you helped Maya and even though I don‘t know Sadie that good, you seemed to help her too.“  
“I still have a long way to go, Ever.“  
“You’re how old? Older than me I think but that’s beside the point. It would be spooky if you had already figured everything out. That would mean you already lived a thousand lives.“  
“Maybe I did and I just forgot.“ Liam joked and both laughed at that.

“No, seriously, I think you’re a good Alpha.“  
“Thank you, Ever. I try to be. I know I’m not doing everything right but I’m trying. Can’t let my pack down, can I?“ He laughed softly.  
“I see how much being part of your pack helped Maya. I met her at freshmen orientation and we became friends and then we noticed we’re both supernatural and she told me about her struggles. It’s hard to see a friend suffering like that and not being able to help but I had no idea how.“  
Liam watched Ever talk, a thoughtful look on his features. He knew what she was referring to and he understood how hard it was.  
“I was worried about her but then she said she was getting help and she told me about Liam and Theo and how great you guys were. How welcome you made her feel. It helped me not to worry that much about her anymore. The next full moon came and she was way better than all the nights before. It made me curious about you.“ She confessed in the end and Liam smiled.  
“I’m happy you came long. You are a great person, I knew that from the beginning. And I’m serious, thanks to your potion Theo probably survived which is something I am eternally grateful for.“

“It was nothing, I just mixed some herbs.” Ever watched Liam with curious eyes. “You and Theo, I never saw soul flames until I met you.”  
“Soul what now?”  
“Soulflames are persons whose souls are intertwined in such a deep way you cannot imagine your life without your soul flame. They don’t complete you, but they compliment you and help you become a better version of yourself. Two hearts, one soul basically. They are not always romantically involved before you say anything. But a soul flame is a person who gets under your skin without much effort. Theo and you are each other’s anchors, right? It’s more binding for you than for normal people.”  
Liam had to admit that was true. Theo had gotten under his skin from almost the beginning on. And the more time they spent together, the less Liam could imagine letting the older leave. Theo had started helping him and thanks to him Liam became better in control and all. He really helped Liam become a better version of himself.   
He smiled. He really liked Ever’s explanation and the term soul flames. It really fit them both well, in Liam’s opinion. They both could rile each other up and when they were passionate about something or their emotions ran high, they literally burned. 

“I like that, Ever. Thanks for sharing this with me.”  
She nodded her head with a genuine smile. “Did you make the decision to move to Seattle together?”  
“Kind of. I happened to come across the university and I really liked what they offered. I told Theo and he was more or less on board immediately. He had no real drive to go anywhere else and liked the business program here and I liked the history program and here we are.”   
“You study history?”  
Liam nodded. “I do, yeah....” 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about history but you don’t seem so happy about that.” Ever had insanely good observation skills, Liam had to give her that.  
“I like history and to be honest, I didn’t really know what to do after school, you know? So I went with what I liked. Lacrosse was another option but becoming a professional player as a werewolf? I would have been way too worried someone finds out what I am and hunts me; so history it was. But now, something over a year later, I’m not so sure anymore, if this is really what I want to do with my life. If a hobby or something I just like is enough to make a profession out of it. So much has changed since starting and I really have no idea if I want to continue like before.”  
“You shouldn’t. And I’m sure you have more talents than just lacrosse and a liking for history.”  
Liam shrugged. When it came to his talents, he really wasn’t so sure except for the obvious: Lacrosse. “Guess I have to figure that out, huh? But with becoming an Alpha and gaining a pack that kind of faded in the background.”  
Ever smiled sweetly. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You seem pretty good at that but I think I already told you that.”

******  
“Do you think I should change my major?”  
Theo stilled which was impressive given that he had just sat on the couch and read a book. But now he paused, frozen for a moment as if he was considering the question, and then raised his head to look at Liam who was currently in the kitchen and cooking their dinner.   
“What?” He asked surprised and frowned slightly. Liam wanting to change his major was nothing he had expected. He had thought Liam was happy.  
Liam shrugged. “I’m not sure if this is what I really want. Maybe something else would fit me better and fulfill me more.”  
“Something else? Care to define this a little bit more?”  
Again the young Alpha shrugged and started to stir the sauce he was currently making again. “I’m not sure yet. Maybe I should see what else is there. What else the university offers. Hence why I asked you if you think I should change my major.” 

Theo watched Liam with his frown still in pace but then he got up and walked over. He gently took Liam by his elbow and pulled him around so he faced Theo. Cupping Liam’s face with both of his hands, he made the younger look at him. “Are you happy?” He inquired, stroking over Liam’s cheek with his left thumb.   
Liam smiled weakly. “Unsure I think. Second-guessing things since I became an Alpha or even before I became one. Those thoughts started before he drove to the cabin.” He then confessed and leaned into Theo’s touch.   
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Theo asked.   
“You cannot protect me from everything, Dore. Doubts, for example, nothing you can fight for me.”  
“But I can listen.” Theo threw in and Liam had to admit he was right.  
“Sorry, Dore.”  
"As long as you are happy, it’s okay.”  
“I am happy, T. I’m just not sure about my major anymore. But being an Alpha, having you as my pack, that’s what makes me happy. The major change thing is something I ignored but now it came up again.”

Theo pressed a kiss on Liam’s forehead. “Take some time to figure things out, Lee. You’re right, only you can decide what’s right for you but if you need someone to talk to, just come to me, okay? I will be happy to listen and maybe offer you advice if you want.”  
“I know.” Liam mumbled while wrapping his arms around Theo’s waist and hugging him. He heard Theo chuckle but then his anchor’s arms wrapped around him too and he hugged Liam back. 

******  
Liam was excited about tonight’s game. Their team was getting better but they still had a lot of work to do. Yet some opponents could be beaten by them. Liam knew their opponents tonight were not that good either but they were tough, so he was sure the game would be interesting. And it would also be Sadie’s first game.   
“Nervous?” He asked his blonde Beta and she let out a fake laugh.  
“Call me Northpole because I am so damn cool...What kind of question is that? I am shaking.”  
“Don’t worry, it will be fine. Maybe you won’t even play tonight but you will be part of the team and that’s a great feeling.”  
Sadie narrowed her eyes slightly. “I’m not sure if you just insulted me or tried to encourage me.”  
Liam smirked and then walked out on the field with the rest of the team.

The other team was tough, just like Liam had expected it. They weren’t the most skilled players but they made it up with force and agility and Liam had to admit the tactic worked. They could not sleep on their opponents and when the game was nearing an end, both teams had scored twice each.  
Liam used a short break to talk the coach into giving Sadie a shot and Coach Mays pointed at her. “O’Mara, get yourself on the field!“ He called out.  
Sadie squeaked in delight and jumped to her feet before putting her helmet on and dashing past Liam on the field. The Alpha smirked and then followed his Beta, squeezing her arm in a supportive gesture. He was delighted to play with Sadie but at the same time, he had not forgotten that his Beta still struggled with her control and anger issues. He would keep a close eye on her, that was for sure.

Everything was fine for the first few minutes. She played good, she was fast and she played well with her team members. But then a bulky guy from the other team tackled her to the ground and then laughed at her. “Oh, poor girly, did you fall in the mud? You wanted to play a guy’s sports, so play like a guy.“ He mocked her while she was on the ground and stared at him. Liam was fast enough to drop his lacrosse stick and crouch next to her before she could lunge at the idiot.  
“Sadie, calm down!“ He hissed, hearing how her heartbeat increased and the blood rushing through her veins. Her chemosignals turned sour, Sadie was getting angry and it didn’t help the guy was still mocking her. She growled and her eyes flashed. “Sadie! You need to calm down!“ Liam told her again, more firmly this time. “You’re risking exposing us!“  
Liam looked at her hands and saw the holes in her gloves. Her fangs were retracting and he counted this as a good sign but then she suddenly shot to her feet and stormed off to the lockers. Liam watched her with a sigh and crossed the coach’s line of sight. Mays shrugged and then nodded and Liam nodded back before following his angry Beta.

He met with Theo, Maya, Nolan and Ever on his way to the locker. The whole pack wanted to check on Sadie. “That’s the girls' locker room.“ Nolan still noted but was dragged into it anyway by Maya. Inside the locker room, Sadie had dropped her helmet and was pacing back and forth, eyes still glowing gold and fangs still out.  
“Sadie.“ Liam began while taking off his own helmet. She spun around and pointed a clawed finger at him.  
“You!“  
Liam looked startled and she used it to start her rant. “I made the biggest fool out of myself out there and now everyone will gossip about me and this is all your fault! You brought me into this team, you told the coach to bring me in, you knew I would lose control and you still did it! I’m the laughing stock of the campus now and it’s all your fault!“ She yelled at him, getting more and more in his face until she was in front of Liam and shoved him back.  
“Sadie!“ Maya tried to reign her in but she didn’t listen. Theo growled and stepped between her and Liam, fangs bared and ready to protect his Alpha. Sadie’s lips curled into a mocking smile.  
“Think I’m afraid of you, huh? You’re not half as bad as you think!“ She snarled.  
Theo growled. “You have no idea, princess! Step back!“

Liam was about to interfere and reign his Betas in when Ever beat him to it. She stepped between the two (and really that took balls) and put her palms against Theo’s and Sadie’s chests each. “Stop it.“ She said calm but firm. Yet the two pissed supernaturals ignored her and continued snarling in each other’s faces.  
“Think I’m scared of you, Raeken?“  
“Uh, is the little princess acting all tough? How cute!”

“I said stop!“ Ever called out and a surge of power shot from her hands, effectively sending Theo and Sadie flying to the ground.  
“Well, that was deescalating.“ Nolan mumbled and Liam had to agree. Sadie and Theo were so thrown off guard, they weren‘t angry but sat on the ground and gaped at Ever. Liam used it to step between them.  
“Now that you two calmed down, can we talk like civilized people again? You….“ He looked at Sadie. “…everybody thinks it was just nerves and we all get nervous sometimes. Your reputation is still intact. And you…“ He now looked at Theo. “…protecting me is honorable but I can handle those things on my own.“ He looked at both Betas. “Got it?“ He asked and both nodded dumbfoundedly. Liam extended his hands and pulled them both to their feet again. “Now apologize!“  
Sadie huffed. “I’m sorry for coming at you.“ She said.  
“I’m sorry for riling you up.“ Theo apologized too.

Liam shook his head. “I feel like a dad right now. But okay, you guys out here and, Sadie, get your ass under the shower, the game’s almost over.“  
“If you’re the dad, does that make Theo the mom?“ Nolan asked and visibly paled when Theo shot him a look. They had become friends over the years but in certain situations, Nolan still had big respect for Theo. Maya and Ever giggled at the sheer thought. Liam just looked highly amused at the thought and Theo shook his head when he caught glimpse of that. “No.“ He simply said. Liam just grinned at him.  
“For Theo being the mom, Liam and Theo have to finally get married.“ Sadie mumbled while walking to her locker and Maya slapped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing too loudly.

******  
Liam rolled his neck while he exited the building. He had used one of the study rooms the library offered to finish an essay and now he was on his way home. He decided to walk and use the shortcut over the campus, that spared him ten minutes of the walk. All he wanted now was to get home, eat the burrito he knew was waiting at home for him (he had a really awesome roommate) and then spend the rest of the evening doing nothing. Theo had taken the late shift at work today, so Liam would be at home alone and could play video games or watch silly tv shows as much as he wanted.

Taking the shortcut proofed to be a good idea only minutes later when he caught whiff oft he rotten smell from the wendigo. Liam tensed and sniffed, trying to figure out where it was coming from. When he managed to do that, he followed it. It was fresher than anything else, she had to be near.  
Liam rounded the corner and there the wendigo was, towering over another young woman, one clawed hand closed around the woman’s wrist to restrain her and the other clawed hand raised, ready to claw the women’s torso open. The poor girl beneath the creature was squirming and whimpering and then Liam saw her face. Ever. He growled.

It worked in a way that the wendigo looked over to him. “I hate when somebody hurts my pack mates.“ Liam growled, fully wolfed out and eyes flashing red. The wendigo bared her teeth, saliva dripping from her fangs, and her eyes flashed white. But then she seemed to realize she wasn’t a match for an Alpha because she let go of Ever’s wrists and jumped back, not without pulling her claws over Ever’s leg and wounding her. Ever cried out in pain and clutched her bleeding limb and Liam knelt down next to her while the wendigo ran away. He would have followed but he needed to make sure Ever wasn’t bleeding out.

“She restrained my hands, Liam. I can only use my magic with my hands.“ Ever whimpered and Liam shook his head. That wasn’t important right now, important was that she got help. He shrugged off his jacket and his plaid shirt underneath, leaving him in a navy blue t-shirt. He ripped his shirt to various shreds and used some to clean away the blood to inspect the scratches. They were not as deep as he feared they would be but she needed patching up.  
“We need to disinfect that. Can you walk?“ Liam asked while wrapping some stripes from his shirt around her leg to stop the bleeding and helped her get up. She grimaced in pain and without thinking he lifted her up bridal style. It wasn’t far, he would carry her to his apartment.  
“You called me pack mate.“ Ever remembered when she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
“You hang out with us and you actually managed to shut Theo and Sadie up. That alone is enough to qualify you as one.“ He told her and she laughed before hissing in pain when her leg was jostled.  
“Guess that’s my first battle wound then.“ Ever mumbled while Liam carried her to his apartment.

After arriving there, he put her on the closed toilet seat and went to retrieve the first aid kit. He took off his self-made bandage and went on cleaning and disinfection the wound. Ever watched him curiously. “You’re good at this.“ She praised.  
Liam smiled while grabbing a bandage. “My dad’s a surgeon. He always said _‚I don‘t expect you to perform surgery but you should know first aid!‘_. So he taught me. It comes in handy since not every pack member is supernatural and heals fast.“ He finished patching her up and inspected it. “That should help. It will hurt for a few days but you should be fine.“  
“Hey, battle wounds, I can handle that. But we really need to do something against this wendigo.“  
Liam sighed and threw the bloodied bandages and patches away. “Yeah, I know. But she always runs away and makes sure we can’t follow. She’s clever.“  
“Yeah, but we are more than her. She’s outnumbered. We just have to track her.“  
“Easier said than done.“

Liam had no idea how badly they needed to catch this wendigo and he probably severely underestimated the danger a creature like that brought with itself at this very moment. He was reminded of that one morning while he was out on a morning run. Theo had spent half of the night awake finishing a project and so he was still out like a light when Liam woke up and decided to go for a run. It wasn’t that bad, Liam enjoyed running along and listening to the sounds around him. His wolf liked it too and it was Liam’s way of paying tribute to his inner animal.  
He decided to go on a long run this morning since he felt a bit restless and wanted to blow off some energy. It was a nice morning, a bit cloudy but still dry, and Liam inhaled the crisp Autumn air while he was running.

Liam had gone for a while when he spotted something bright blue between the leaves. He frowned slightly and curiosity got the best of him, so he stopped running and walked around the bushes to see the what this was. Behind the bushes, in a small and more secluded area of the park, was a dinosaur. Not a real one, of course not, but a little boy in a dinosaur pajama onesie. He knew that boy. It was the little werewolf he met, Coach Mays‘ son Keegan. He looked completely oblivious to the world around him and given his outfit Liam took a wild guess and said the boy was sleepwalking. Or had been sleepwalking because he stopped and seemed to slowly wake up. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with both hands. Liam smiled, that looked cute. 

But then he saw it: The wendigo lurked on a small hill right above Keegan. She licked her lips and grimly smiled and Liam saw her bloody teeth. Whatever or rather whoever she just ate, it had not been enough and she was still hungry. Keegan seemed like the perfect snack. She licked her lips once more and then jumped. 

She and Liam collided in the air and fell to the ground, already fighting with each other. She was hissing, clawing and scratching, and he was trying to keep her from getting to Keegan. The young boy stared wide-eyed at them and cowered to the ground, clearly afraid of the display in front of him. He was still a kid for fuck’s sake! Liam would not let her kill him and he would try his best to not scare the little boy any further. 

The fight went on for several minutes until Liam punched her so hard, he effectively broke her nose. She howled and staggered back, both hands holding her bleeding nose. “This is not over!” She screeched nasally and Liam snapped at her once more.   
“Want to kill me Alpha? In front of the child?” She taunted him and when he looked over to Keegan and then back at her, she was gone. Liam huffed and slowly shifted back to his human self before walking over to Keegan and kneeling down in front of him. 

“Are you okay?” He asked the boy and Keegan looked at him, lower lip trembling and tears in his eyes. Liam pulled him into a tight hug and felt Keegan cling to him. He slowly got up and picked Keegan up while doing so. His coach had told him once the name of the street he lived so he would bring Keegan home. keeping him close Liam started walking, mumbling soft words to Keegan to try and calm the traumatized boy down. 

And when they reached the destinated street, Liam looked around. “Keegan, can you tell me which house is yours? You know where you live, right?”  
The child nodded and raised his head. “The r...red one.” He stammered and pointed at the house.   
“Okay.” Liam said and hugged Keegan once more while carrying him towards his house. When he knocked at the door, he could already smell the panic in the house. The family had obviously noticed the boy missing. 

The door was opened and a beautiful woman with almond skin and long wavy black hair opened the door. She spotted Keegan and let out a relieved scream. “Keegan!”

Liam set the kid down and he ran into his mother’s arms. She had knelt down to hug him tightly and stroke over the back of his head, happy to have her son back. Liam watched them with a sad smile when Coach Mays stepped to the door.

“He uses to sleepwalks when he’s stressed or excited but he had not done it for months. We thought he had gotten over it and forgot to lock the door.” He explained to Liam and Liam looked at him. He hesitated for a moment and then sighed. 

“I found him in the park. He was almost attacked by a wendigo.” He told the parents and his coach as well as Mrs. Mays stared at him in shock. “Don’t worry, he’s not hurt, I made sure of that. He’s just scared.” Liam said and flashed his red eyes. Mrs. Mays still hugged Keegan but her eyes flashed gold and she gently pried herself away from Keegan. “Sweetie, your sister is in the kitchen. Why don’t you join her?” She said and Keegan ran off but then returned to hug Liam’s waist and the ran away again. His mother stepped to the door to.

“I wasn’t aware you were a werewolf let alone an Alpha.” Roderick Mays said an indicated Liam to enter the house which he did. The door was closed behind him and he shrugged.   
“I’m not really open about being an Alpha to the werewolf community yet. For personal reasons.”  
“It wasn’t our intention to cross your territory. We didn’t know Seattle had an Alpha.” Mrs. Mays said.   
Liam shook his head. “You didn’t cross anything. Yes, I am an Alpha and yes I live in Seattle. But I have no problem with other weres living around. And you came here because of work. Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong.” He reassured her.    
She bowed her head lightly. “Thank you, Alpha Dunbar.”  
“Liam. Just Liam.”  
She nodded. “Ayla. Nice to meet you, Liam.”   
Coach Mays rubbed his neck. “Guess that cat’s out of the bag now. I am human but my wife, as well as my son and my daughter, are werewolves. And I’m Roderick or Rod. You saved my son’s life, that’s the least I can do.”  
Liam chuckled. “It was nothing, really. It’s my duty to protect.”  
“Liam, can we invite you for breakfast? It’s still early and you should be our guest.”  
“Thank you but I’ll pass. I have something to take care of first.” Liam politely declined the invitation. Ayla seemed to understand and nodded. “Okay, but the offer still stands. You’ll come for breakfast one morning and if you want you can bring your boyfriend too. The one who sometimes picks you up after practice.” Rod still added.  
“Theo’s not...Okay, I’ll bring him.”  
The Mays were happy with his answer and Liam waved before leaving the house. His way led him directly back home. He really had something to take care of!

When he walked into the apartment, Theo was watching Tv while eating cereal on the couch. Liam rarely glanced at him when he brushed past him. “Get ready while I call the others! We have stuff to do!” He ordered and grabbed his phone to send a text to the core pack, telling them to come to the apartment immediately. Theo frowned. “Did something happen?”  
Liam was already walking to his room to change into more suitable clothes. “Yes.” He answered.

The pack seemed to realize Liam was not playing around because not only twenty minutes later they were gathered in the living room. “What’s going on?” Sadie asked and Theo shrugged. “He came home and was in total Alpha mode. I have no idea.”  
Liam walked back into the room right this very minute. “I’ll tell you what happened. Our wendigo almost attacked Coach Mays’ eight-year-old son this morning. Thank god I was there or the boy would be dead by now.” He announced and everyone tensed at that. “I don’t want anybody to die, but all the more I don’t want any child to die. That’s why I called you here.”  
“You want to search for her again?” Maya summed it up but Liam shook his head.  
“No, I don’t want to search for her. I want to **hunt** her.” He corrected and then opened the apartment door to step outside. “Ever was right, we are more and when we work tactical, we can corner her. So we will hunt her, we will find her and we will corner her.”  
“And then?” Nolan asked.   
Liam just looked at him and his eyes flashed red. The human raised his crossbow. “Ready when you are, Alpha.”

And so they went on the hunt. Their first clue led them to the place where Keegan had been attacked by her. The rotten smell still lingered but it was too weak to actually follow it without a doubt.   
“I can help with that.” Ever said and kneeled down. She hovered both hands over the ground and concentrated and suddenly several lightly glowing patches appeared on the ground. “That way.”  
“That’s...can you do that with lost items too? Because then I’m keeping you.” Nolan said and she smiled softly but then turned serious again and followed Liam who had started to follow the traces. Theo was next to him. “Are you okay?” He asked softly and Liam gritted his teeth but nodded. “Pissed off. Extremely pissed off. She messed with me one last time. I broke her nose already and I plan on breaking even more bones.”   
Theo grinned darkly. “That’s the spirit.”

But even with Ever’s little magic trick finding the wendigo was hard. She covered her scent and was good at hiding. But Liam would not give up, not this time. The pack spread out to cover a larger area and search for her and finally, after hours searching for the creature, the managed to track her down to a warehouse. Just like they had planned earlier, they now went on in a tactical way. Liam first with Theo shortly behind. Noland and Ever in the middle and Sadie and Maya being last. That way they could cover all sides and defend each other if needed.  

Liam opened the door and stepped inside, followed by the others. The whole warehouse was full of body bags hanging from rails hanging from the ceiling. Sadie covered her mouth with both hands. “Are those...”

“Corpses.” Theo finished. “Wendigos are cannibals after all.”

Liam tried to blend out all the dead people hanging from the ceiling. “She’s here, be careful.” He briefed his pack and slowly moved down the rows of bags. So many spots to hide among all those bodies, they really had to be careful. The pack spread out and each took a row to inspect. They all were tensed and every single one of them tried to ignore the stench in the air. Nolan silently thanked god above for not having enhanced senses right now. That would have been too much for him. 

Ever walked through a row and tried not to look closer at the body bags. She was looking for suspicious movements but didn’t want to see any face of the dead. But suddenly she was faced with the grimace of the wendigo who snapped at her. The witch screamed and instinctively raised her arm to flung the wendigo telekinetically back. Her scream had alerted the others and Sadie jumped the cannibal, causing the two women to fight. 

“You again!” The wendigo growled and Sadie angrily howled back, eyes flaring gold. They wrestled and got caught in the body bags. Sadie staggered and fell backward, the wendigo on top of her. It was when Maya jumped on her back and wrapped her arm around the wendigo’s neck, strangulating her. “I wouldn’t do that, bitch!” The dark-haired werewolf hissed and pulled the wendigo away from Sadie. She was clawing at Maya’s arm and tried to get free again. “I will kill all of you! Rip out your innards and have a feast. You all deserve to die!” She screeched and then bit Maya’s arm. Maya howled in pain and let go of her. 

The wendigo jumped and tried to run away but an arrow to the shoulder made her fall to the ground. She hissed angrily and glared at Nolan who still had the crossbow pointed at her. She got to her feet again and ran towards him. Just before she could reach him, Theo tackled her and now the chimera and the wendigo fought. Claws and fangs were sinking into flesh and blood was flowing. At one point, she had Theo against the concrete floor of the warehouse, claws gripping his throat and making him whine when he got no air. She growled and was ready to strike when she suddenly gasped and surged up. It took a few seconds but then she fell to the ground, lifeless, and Liam stood behind her, his bloody claws indicator that it had been him who killed the wendigo. Liam looked at her with a mixture of grief, resignation, and victory. Then his eyes wandered to Theo’s who had slowly gotten to his feet.

“Scott would have not killed her but I’m not Scott and she wouldn’t have stopped.” The young Alpha said slowly and Theo nodded.  
“I know.” He said and then stepped closer to hug Liam tightly, not caring about blood or filth. Liam clung to him, eyes slowly changing back to blue and claws retracting. He had killed some creatures and beings since becoming a werewolf and he knew he didn’t have any other choice but that didn’t mean it was easy or felt good. 

The other members gathered around them, relieved this was over. Ever rubbed over Liam’s back to show her comfort and Sadie squeezed his shoulder. Liam inhaled Theo’s calming scent for a moment, then he moved away from his anchor. “Let’s leave this terrible place.” He said. “Nolan?”  
“Already on it. Anonymous caller telling the police about that place. Drunk or junkie?”  
“Drunk or what?” Maya asked tiredly while they walked out. Nolan answered by pulling out his cellphone and calling the police. The minute the call was picked up he switched his voice to a relaxed, slightly slurred tone as if he was high as a kite. He told the _dudes_ about this strange haunted house he got that gave him a bad trip. After giving them the address, he ended the call and then blushed while everyone stared at him. Well, everyone aside from Theo and Liam.  
“The hell was that?” Sadie asked irritated.  
“We found out Nolan’s insanely good with impressions. Good for calls like that.” Liam replied. Sadie handed him a tissue. “That's one of the weirdest things I ever heard but I love it.” She confessed. “And here, clean yourself.”

Liam gratefully took the tissue and wiped the blood from his hand before tossing it into a garbage can. They continued to walk in silence until Maya suddenly spoke up again.   
“Is it just me or do you all also feel this strong rush inside you? Like this strong pull?”   
“No, I feel it too.” Ever said and the others fell in with saying they felt the same.

“It’s the pack bond. We faced our real first challenge as a pack, it makes our connection stronger.” Liam explained. He didn’t know how he knew that suddenly, he just felt it was the truth. “I’m pretty sure even the Morning Dew Pack felt it.” And with him saying that his phone literally blew up with all kind of texts. And not only his, Theo’s too. The chimera checked it and frowned. “They felt it indeed and they want to know what’s going on. If we’re okay. Want me to answer them?”

“Hold on.” Liam held up his hand and pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. It was beeping with an incoming video call from Byron and he accepted. Byron’s and Lana’s worried faces appeared on the screen. “Liam? Liam, honey, are you okay? We felt the pack bond vibrating and we were worried. What happened?” Lana asked immediately when she saw him. Liam tried a tired smile. “We’re fine. We’re all here.” He stopped walking and his friend gathered around him so Lana and Byron could see they were all alive themselves. “We hunted down a wendigo who almost killed a child today. She killed several people already.” Liam explained. Byron looked at him and frowned. “What happened to her?”  
“Liam killed her.” Theo replied and pulled Liam closer. Byron gave Liam a look. “You had no other choice. Wendigos need to kill in order to survive and if she was already so gone to attack children, you really had no other choice.”   
“I know.” Liam said and swallowed heavily. It was still insanely hard. And he wanted to just sleep for days now. “Tell the others we are okay, yeah?” He asked Byron and Lana and they both nodded.   
“Now, you all get your butts into beds, you look like you need a good night’s sleep. Hot chocolate helps.” Lana said softly. “Or tea.”  
“Thank you, Lana.” The pack around Liam chorused at the same time. Liam ended the call and leaned against Theo. He was really exhausted and they all looked like that. With the threat of the wendigo gone now, they could relax again. 

“Sleepover at our apartment. The keyword is sleep. We all need it.” Liam decided.

******  
 None of them had expected the night where they hunted down the wendigo to influence them as much as it did. Their pack bond was stronger since then, they all felt it, even the humans. Mason and Corey had blown up Liam’s and Theo’s phone with their texts until they were told what happened and then they had driven to Seattle instantly, claiming they could miss a few days of classes and that they wanted to be with the pack. After the wendigo’s death life became quieter because they all needed it that way. They needed to relax a bit, Liam needed it, and it helped the pack to get to know each other better. They were still on their way to becoming great friends and there were still a lot of things they didn’t know about each other. With the pulsing pack bond, it was easier to open up and conversation flew easy between them. He talked to Byron or other pack members on a daily base now, because he wanted to. They were all sweet and liked talking to him and he could learn so much from them. Not only him, his Betas stayed in contact with them too. Phone calls between pack members weren't unusual after that night and even they were miles apart, they were close.

Lim felt closer to all his Betas and he noticed them being closer even more than before. Theo, of course, had a special place in that. Liam felt even more aware of the chimera’s closeness or their touches. He noticed how Theo’s touches seemed to linger longer and how he touched Liam more in general. Liam seemed to not be the only one to feel that deep connection, this showed Theo felt it too. He would run his fingers over Liam’s arm when they met in the kitchen or when he was just walking by the young Alpha and Liam felt his skin heat up when Theo did that. It felt that good.

And then came the package, a few days after they defeated the wendigo. Liam had gotten it from the mailman this morning and when his pack met later on, he carried it into the living room and cleared his throat. “I have something for you, guys.”

The talking in the room came to a halt and they looked at their Alpha and the package in his arms. Liam sat on the couch and opened it, pulling a letter out first. “I got this from the pack members at the lake, so just listen at first.”

He cleared his throat and started reading:

**_Greetings our fellow pack mates,_ **

**_we cannot tell you how proud we are of you. You already come so far and you managed to take down your first enemy. We would like to tell you that was all and you can live in peace but that would be a lie. It won’t be easy and there will be challenges and dangers arising but you have each other. Your pack bond, our pack bond, is strong and incredibly. You have each other in Seattle, you have us, we have each other._ **

He looked up. “We means the whole pack, they all signed the letter. Anyway...” He continued.

_**Now, without further words, we are aware Liam has decided on his own symbol, a symbol for his reign as Alpha, a symbol for your part of the pack. We all belong together and we want to give you all something that proofs it.** _

Liam took a little white sack from the package and handed it over to Sadie. She looked surprised but Liam smiled and read:

**_Sadie, Liam called you the fighter. He also called you the fashionable one in the group. You still have a long way to go, but we know you will manage it. You are tough and you are beautiful, not because you wear all those pretty clothes but because even through all your struggles, you kept your kind heart and your spirit. We hope our gift reminds you of that, that even though you may struggle sometimes, you are still beautiful and brilliant._ **

Sadie opened the little sack and pulled out a silver necklace with a shiny blue stone pendant in the form of a tear. It was light blue and glittering in the light, one side had Liam’s symbol engraved in the fragile stone, the other side had the Mountain Dew pack symbol. The blonde gasped and stared at the beautiful necklace and then she started crying. “Oh my god, this is breathtaking.”  
“Do you have outfits that match that?” Theo teased her with a laugh and she laughed too. “I have but even if I didn’t, I would buy everything new just so I could wear it every day.” She wiped her tears away and Maya took the necklace to put it on her. Liam smiled.  
“That’s how it feels when a pack cares and not judges, Sadie.” He reminded her and she nodded, still wiping her happy tears. 

Liam handed a little light silver sack over to Corey who looked completely surprised that he got a gift too. 

_**Corey, you are able to turn invisible and while this is a very strong power, it can also make you feel always invisible from time to time. But you are not invisible to this pack. We know you are there, you are the consultant that pack needs, the common sense, and you help us see things clearly. Let this gift remind you of that. You are a valid part of the pack and it wouldn’t be the same without you.** _

The second chimera was already crying when Liam ended and when he took out the fragile silver necklace with a white, octagon stone and the pack symbols etched into the stone with a golden color, he was laughing and sobbing at the same time. Mason beamed at him and hugged his boyfriend tightly before helping Corey to put the necklace on. 

Ever was the next one and got a little bright yellow sack. She waited for Liam to read what it was about before opening it.

**_Ever, you’re a witch, a shaman, a child of nature. You will find the metal warm under your fingers. It was made from a piece of metal hit by lightning to remind you that while you may be soft and warm, you still have lightning in your soul. You can feel the magic of the nature rushing through it and it should help you channel your magic. Never lose your spark, nature daughter._ **

Ever’s necklace was a light brown leather necklace with a round copper tile hanging from it and she loved it immediately. The tile itself has dots and sparks of gold in there and also both symbols engraved on each side.  Pulling it over her head, she beamed and wrapped her hand around the pendant. “It really gets warm.” She announced, making everybody laugh.

Maya got a forest green sack and smiled happily at the color choice.

**_Maya, the wild child. Liam told us you love the nature so we thought this would fit you perfectly. Remember, darling, you are a force of nature, but that should never terrify you. It should inspire you because you can do so much when you believe in yourself. Keep your head up high and smile like the beautiful person that you are. Nothing can dim your light if you don’t allow it._ **

The necklace Maya was given was a dark green natural leather band with a wooden pendant in the shape of a tree ring and both pack symbols carved into it. Her eyes sparkled when she slipped it over her head and put it on and she laughed happily.

Next was Mason with a purple sack. He inhaled and Corey squeezed his hand. “No crying already.” He teased and Mason laughed. “Shut up.” He said and yet blinked against the tears.

_**Mason, you read a lot and you learn a lot, everything to help your pack. You will be a truly good emissary and this pack is happy to have you. Even as a human you play such a valid part in this pack. It’s your knowledge who helps the pack defeat the enemies and come up with good plans. Thank you for being so dedicated. Your spirit is strong, you are loyal and that is what this pack needs. Let the sparks caught in this stone be a reminder.** _

Mason’s chain was white gold but his rectangle shaped pendant was blackish-blue with white shimmering traces in the stone. It looked like the night sky with a million stars on it and Mason squealed actually when he put it on. 

Nolan got a turquoise little sack and he blushed at that and rubbed his neck.

**_Nolan, you once promised to never touch a crossbow again and yet when your pack needed you, you did it. To protect your pack mates, to protect your friends and family. You are a brave spirit, a true warrior. The gift we have for you is the same material our ancestors used to make arrows with. You are as brave as them and you deserve a reminder of that. Let their spirit guide you._ **

The human squeaked and hastily opened the sack, pulling out a white necklace with a flint pendant in an oval shape. And thus the next one was crying. Maya wordlessly handed over a tissue and Nolan took it and blew his nose.

Liam looked at Theo who watched the whole spectacle with a shake of his head. That was too much emotion for him. But then Liam grabbed a dark blue sack and threw it at Theo. The chimera seemed actually surprised but made a motion for Liam to read what it said about him.

**_Theo. The First Beta. You immediately were ready to join this journey with Liam and that shows how brave you really are. You may prefer to keep it private but your loyalty to the ones you truly care about is admirable. One of the strongest traits you possess. Your soul is intertwined with Liam’s in a way only the universe understands. To show that our gift to you is similar to Liam’s but not completely the same to show you may be one soul with two hearts but you are your own persons still._ **

Theo looked down at the black braided leather cord he had pulled out of the little sack. His fingers stroke over the bronze pendant hanging from the chain. The pack symbols were hand-carved into the metal in quite a rustic way. It sparkled in a brownish-golden tone and Liam had to take one look at the way his anchor stroke over their chosen pack symbol and then swallowed thickly to know how touched Theo was. He had become more open about his feeling but he still tended to not show them completely, yet Liam could always read Theo. 

And then Theo looked up and looked at Liam. “They said it’s similar to yours.” He mumbled while pulling it over his head and putting the necklace on and Liam loved the look of it on Theo’s light grey shirt. He nodded with a smile and raised a light blue sack before pulling out his own necklace. It hung from a dark brown braided leather cord and had almost the exact shape of Theo’s pendant but his was a bit more golden and less brownish than Theo’s. A mirror image. He winked at the chimera while pulling it over his head. When he felt the small weight of the pendant on his chest, he closed his fingers around it and looked at his pack.

“That’s our pack, guys.” He stated. “They all care as much as we do. We all belong together and we all are connected.”  
Can we send them something back?” Sadie asked. “They deserve it.”  
“Sure.” Liam said in a heartbeat. “Think of something and we will send it.”

******  
Since they got their necklaces, the pack seemed to have grown even closer. They all wore their necklaces proudly and could be found playing with it without really paying much attention to it. It made Liam smile every time he saw his pack mates doing that and he knew he did it as well. It was calming to feel the solid pendant in his fingers, feel the metal heating up with his body heat and feeling the deep connection from the pack bound. 

It had gotten quiet after the death of the wendigo, the supernatural seemed to really give them a break. Liam should have expected this to not last long. The pack just exited the movie theater after having watched Despicable Me 3 and they were all laughing and talking about the movie.

“How can you not like the Minions? They are cute!” Ever asked Theo.

“I never said I don’t like them. I just said they are funny but I think after a while their little jocose way would get a lot to deal with. Maybe too much. And I don’t need that. I already have Liam, my need for jocose beings is already covered. Right, Pierre?”

“Are you still trying to figure out his middle name?” Mason asked with a loud laugh. “How long are you having the bet already?”  
“Don’t blame me, Liam is stubborn as hell!”  
“Yeah and I’m not called Pierre.” Liam said with a grin. Theo sighed.  
“Elias?” - “No.”  
“Garfield?” - “I’m a werewolf, not a cat!”  
“Donald?” - “I'm not sharing a name with this orange demon currently sitting in the White House!”  
“Theodore?”  
Liam raised both eyebrows and then he started laughing. “You wish!”

But his laughter was interrupted by a loud howl in the distance and they all stopped dead in their tracks.   
“A wolf that close to the city?” Mason asked with a frown. “Was that a happy howl or a pained howl?”  
“First of all, that wasn’t just a wolf.” Liam said. “It was an Alpha’s howl. And the howl was neither pained nor friendly.”  
“It was hostile.” Theo added and Liam raised his chin head in a challenging gesture while his eyes flashed red. He looked around. “We go home. Keep an eye on your surroundings.” He instructed his pack and started walking. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter and I'm not sure if I said it already but I am so grateful for all of you, your commenters, your likers, your rebloggers, your bookmarker, your kudos-givers! You keep me motivated, you make me smile and you give me something to really look forward too when my days are stressful.  
> Liam struggles with his major and he will continue to struggle a bit more, that's the only spoiler I give you for further chapters.   
> Liam and Theo being soul flames. Seriously, those two need to get a hint. Everybody sees it but them, right?  
> Ever showing some of her skills. Enjoyed that?  
> Ding dong, the wendigo bitch is dead! Liam is different than Scott, guess we all can agree on that. Do you think he's still a good Alpha?  
> And I'm curious what you guys have to say about the pack's gifts to the core pack around Liam and Theo??!!!


	13. I want you to know: You're my family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack faces the new threat in town and maybe this is bigger than all of them...

“You’re overreacting!”  
Theo had his arms crossed in front of his chest and glared at Liam who was on the other side of the living room, hands running through his hair and making it stick in various directions and a wild look in his eyes. The rest of the pack sat on the couches between them, eyes wandering from one to the other as if they were watching a tennis match. 

“I am not overreacting!” Liam hissed and glared at his friend who simply rolled his eyes. “I just want to cover all the bases. Why is that so wrong in your eyes?”

“You don’t want to cover all the bases, you want to find the Alpha and fight. You don’t even know if the howl was for you! Maybe the Alpha is just coming through and got in a fight. You know nothing about them! But you want to track them down and just snarl in their face and get yourself in trouble. Because that Alpha, they could see this as a declaration of war! You have been an Alpha for how many months now? What if the Alpha is a born wolf or an Alpha for years? They could rip you apart without breaking a sweat! You’re getting yourself killed just because you don’t have your IED in check!” Theo yelled back. 

“I agree with Theo.”, came Byron’s voice from the cell phone on the couch table. Liam startled since he had actually forgotten about the phone and the council on the other end of the line. Now Cedric spoke up. “The Alpha, whoever it is, could really see this as a threat when you suddenly show up. Don’t be that kind of Alpha, let them come to you if they come at all. As long as you don’t know anything, stay away, live your normal life. Don’t interfere with anyone’s business.”

Liam sighed. A part of him understood what they all were saying, but another part wanted to find the Alpha and see what this was all about. He closed his eyes and groaned while scrubbing both hands over his face. That was frustrating, to say the least, and Liam didn’t do well with frustration. But he had to agree with the others for now. No use in running into it and getting himself killed. “Okay, fine, I’ll stay away! Sorry that I yelled at you, T.”  
Theo shrugged. “You yelling means you’re still alive and that’s all I want.”

Liam fell on the couch next to Mason and his best friend patted his back. Liam gritted his teeth. He may have agreed with his pack to not run off but this thing bugged him to no end. Living his normal life would be difficult. He still felt the anxiety running through him and exhaled through his mouth while his fingers wrapped around his pendant subconsciously and his other hand rubbed over his tattoo. Theo walked over to him and squeezed his shoulder in a silent support. “We don’t have to get involved in everything.”  
Liam nodded curtly. “I know.”

He tried to focus on other things, talking to his pack but in the back of his mind this possible new threat was always there. He hated not knowing things completely and he had witnessed too much shit in Beacon Hills to just ignore this and not worry. He tried to play it off for the sake of his pack, but Liam was on alert. He watched his pack more than really interacted with them and he knew he would do anything to protect each member of his pack. They were his friends, his family, and he would die for every single one of them. The Alpha could come, Liam would not let them get his family!

And yes, Liam had said yes to not search the Alpha out but that didn’t mean he would not search online for suspicious activities around the area. Wherever that Alpha came from, he (or she? The howl had sounded more male but you could never be 100% sure) must have left some traces if they were really dangerous, right? The Alpha pack left destruction in their wake on their way to Beacon Hills, Stiles had told him so much. 

That’s why Liam sat cross-legged on his bed late at night, while Mason and Corey were sleeping on the couches in the living room, and Theo was sleeping too, laptop in front of him and trying to find things out. The problem was he had no real idea where to begin. Animal attacks around Seattle had his first choice but most reports were so vague, he could not be sure it had been done by a wolf. Liam scoffed frustrated, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

“Try animal attacks in general and then look for a specific pattern. Then you’ll find the path the Alpha took.”   
Liam’s head shot up as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and he looked sheepishly at Theo who strode into his room and closed the door behind himself. He walked over to the bed and sat next to Liam. “That way you’ll find out the Alpha apparently took a path from San Diego over Los Angeles, Fresno, Salem and here we are.”  
Liam frowned. “Wait. How do you know that?”  
“I already googled it earlier tonight when I said I was going to bed. I may have said we should live our normal lives but that doesn’t mean I’m not on alert too. I’m from Beacon Hills too, puppy, I have the same train of thoughts you do. We’ve seen too much shit to actually believe in coincidence.” 

Liam had to smile at that. “And here I thought I was the only one worrying.”  
“You’re not. I’m not so naive to believe this has nothing to do with us so I’d rather be prepared. I just don’t want the pack to panic.” He leaned against the headboard and watched Liam who leaned back also. “I don’t want to cause panic either. I just...I’m worried, T.”  
“Yeah, it’s understandable. So we do what we always do: Stay on alert and yet go on with our lives.” 

Liam groaned. “I hate this! To constantly look over my shoulder. I really thought this was behind us but I guess we always get involved. And I’m an Alpha, I should have seen this coming. I don’t know why I’m suddenly so caught off guard by that.”

“Because after the wendigo thing, we all would have liked peace and quiet and we are all still young, it’s our prerogative to let our guards down every once in a while. Not too much but a little. You have a lot on your shoulders, Lee, you are allowed to relax every once in a while.” He squeezed Liam’s arm and Liam smiled weakly. “Thank you, Dore.”

He looked at the laptop screen. “So you found the path the Alpha took?”  
“Well, I’m not completely sure it’s the Alpha we’re looking for but well, the latest animal attack was near Seattle and it shows some resemblance to the others, it could be a hint. That being said, this Alpha is rogue.”   
Liam sighed. “Great. Just great.”  
“Maybe they are just on their way to something and just crossing town. Don’t worry too much, okay? And now you should sleep. It’s Mason’s and Corey’s last day tomorrow and they were promised sightseeing. It will be exhausting, so sleep is in order, puppy.”

“Hm.” Liam put his laptop aside and closed it. “Do you want to stay here?” He invited Theo while he crawled under the covers. Theo looked surprised but then he smiled and nodded, moving under the covers as well. They both laid next to each other and Theo squeezed Liam’s hand. “Everything will be going to be fine, puppy.” He promised and Liam knew he only said that to calm Liam down. He smiled gratefully and squeezed Theo’s hand back and then he closed his eyes. He fell asleep with the constant weight of Theo’s hand in his. 

******  
Liam tried to live by going on with the normal life but that was harder than expected. He had the constant feeling somebody was watching him but when he looked around nobody was there. “Are you getting a bit paranoid?” Sadie asked one day when they gathered at the campus café and Liam looked out of the big window, trying to spot somebody.  
“No.” Liam said but she scoffed. “Yeah, right!”

Liam looked over to the other side of the table where Ever, Maya and Sadie were all squished in one booth and gave him a look that clearly said they were not buying it. Liam growled quietly. That was nothing he would discuss now.  
Theo appeared next to their table. Sadie pointed at Liam. “Theo, he’s all growly and paranoid! Do something!” She demanded.   
Theo slipped in the both next to Liam, put one arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. “Hey, puppy, you okay?” He asked softly and Liam leaned against him. “Yeah, yeah.” He mumbled, still looking outside. Theo’s hand on his shoulder twitched and gently stroke over it then to soothe Liam. It worked a little bit and he tore his eyes away from outside. “Just a rough day.” He played it down but he knew Theo saw right through him. The chimera could read him like an open book. He didn’t even need to look at Theo to know it was true.

The chimera sighed softly and then got to his feet, one arm wrapping around Liam’s bicep. “Come up, puppy.”  
“Where are we going?” Liam asked but grabbed his bag and let Theo pull him with him. Theo just shook his head and pulled Liam out of the café and towards their home.  
“We’re going home, get changed and get to the gym. You need to power yourself out until you’re too exhausted to be paranoid.”  
“I know somebody watches us!”  
“ _Liam!_ ”  
Liam closed his mouth with a clack and then let Theo drag him further down the street. He would not argue for once. 

He hated to admit when he was riled up but Theo’s idea with the gym proofed to be good. It had been a while since the two of them had worked out together and yet they fell into an easy rhythm, working out and yet cracking jokes and teasing each other. And for the first time since the Alpha howl, Liam could actually stop thinking about it and relax a little bit. Theo once more showed how good he was at grounding Liam. And seeing the other getting sweaty and train shirtless was a nice side effect too. Liam caught himself neglecting his own workout in favor of just watching the other’s muscles move under his lightly tanned skin. Aesthetical very pleasing, Liam liked. He tried his best to make his ogling not too obvious, not wanting to come off as a creep. If Theo noticed him staring, he never mentioned it.

When they finished their workout both were sweaty, exhausted but happy. Liam felt at ease, more than before and he owed that to Theo. He could have to get used to feeling like this but when they left the gym and walked to Theo’s car in the underground garage he felt the prickling of somebody’s eyes on his neck and spun around. Theo next to him groaned. “Not again! I’m too tired for this shit.“  
“I know somebody’s here!“ Liam narrowed his eyes and eyed the dark corners of the garage suspiciously.  
“Seriously, if you don”t stop that I’m making you run rounds until you puke.“ Theo grabbed Liam by the collar of his shirt and yanked him towards his truck.  
“You said we should be on alert!“ Liam defended himself.  
“There’s a mile wide difference between being on alert and being paranoid.“ Theo grumbled. “Get in the car.“

Liam got in but he was still standing with what he felt. Somebody was watching him yet obviously his pack thought he was losing his mind. It had rubbed him the wrong way when it came from Sadie but that Theo took the same line hurt him more than he wanted to admit right now. 

******  
Liam was studying for a test in history, Sadie on the other side of the library table. He tried to focus on the words in front him but the scent coming from his Beta gave away how anxious she was. Liam endured this for several minutes, then he spoke up.  
“Spill it out!“  
Sadie startled and looked at him with eyes wide as saucers. “Your chemosignals.“ Liam explained. “They give off how anxious you are. So whatever it is, spill.“  
“Are you and Theo fighting?“  
“Huh?“ Liam frowned. “Why do you think that?“  
“You seem distant towards him, so much it affects us other Betas and we notice it.“

It was true, Liam had been distant towards the chimera. That even Theo had a hard time understanding him didn’t bode well for Liam and he could not help but feel alone. Yet he shook his head. “We’re not fighting.“ They weren’t per se. So it wasn‘t a direct lie.  
“Are you sure?“ Sadie didn’t seem convinced at all.  
“I am sure. Stop worrying, that’s my job.“  
“You’re my family, I’ll always worry about you.“  
Liam sighed, That was usually his argument so he could not really say anything against that.

“Sadie…“ He sighed. “Drop it. We’re not fighting.“  
“Tell that Theo, he looks like a kicked puppy every time he looks at you.“  
“He does not!“  
“He does.“ Sadie nodded, a solemn look on her face. “Should see the way he flinches when he talks to you and you more or less shut him down or manage to bail out when we want to do something. He…seriously, Liam, I never saw him look like that before. He looks like he‘s in actual pain!“  
Liam felt bad when he heard that. He had not meant to make Theo feel bad or anything. They obviously needed to talk.  
“Huh, I never noticed that. Thank you, Sadie.“

The talk with the blonde Beta had given Liam a lot to think about. It made him quite reflective. Theo was probably the most important person in Liam’s life right now and to learn he was causing the older distress, made Liam’s heart clench.  
He planned on talking to Theo the next possible moment. The pack gathered at the apartment for just hanging out that night and Theo was the only one missing. Liam dialed his number and put his phone on speaker. It took some time but then Theo answered.  
 “I’m on my way.“ He said in lieu of a greeting. Liam heard the sound of wheels rolling on concrete, Theo was at the skate park and obviously had lost track of time, Liam knew his friend.  
 “Just wanted to check if you’re okay.“ The Alpha added and he heard Theo sucking in a breath of surprise. He obviously had not expected Liam to still care and that made Liam’s heart clench once more. When it came to the two of them, neither Liam nor Theo coped well with distance. They really needed to talk.

“I’m okay, yeah. Will be home soon, don‘t worry so much, Li….“ He heard the clatter and then a pained noise from Theo. Liam chortled. “You fell off your board, right?“  
“Something blocked my board but yes, I did. Stop laughing!“ Theo snapped without being really mad. Liam smirked. He could hear Theo moving around in search of his board but then he heard the movements stopping and then dead silence. Liam tensed, hands gripping the kitchen counter he had placed his phone on. He only relaxed slightly when he heard Theo speaking again but when he heard what his anchor was saying and how clipped his words sounded, he tensed even more.  Someone else seemed to be there with Theo because he said: “Who are you?”

And then a deep voice spoke up and even though his words were calm, they sounded dangerous and Liam felt a cold shiver run down his spine. “Who I am is not important, but who you are is. You’re the First Beta, so you better listen because I have a message for your Alpha. Or rather for the one you call Alpha because he is everything but. An Alpha needs to be strong,  forceful and terrifying; he is just a little boy who got red eyes. Unfortunately, and for reasons I absolutely don’t get, you accepted him as your Alpha. Probably because you never had another option.” He laughed snidey and Liam growled lowly, claws digging into the counter. His eyes were burning red because for once what the guy said but furthermore because he was there with Theo. “To sum it up: He’s in the way of what I want. Tell him to step aside or it will get messy and we don’t want that, do we?”

“I’m not your messenger. You want to tell Liam something, tell it to his face!” Theo snubbed and Liam could basically see the chimera raising an eyebrow in front of his eyes.

The Alpha chuckled in a cold way and then Liam heard movement and Theo gasp. “Careful, you’re just a Beta, you’re no match for me. Don’t you dare get cheeky!” The Alpha growled and then Theo hissed and next thing that could be heard was the crack of bones and Theo cried out in pain. And Liam lost it. His claws had scratched over the counter and now he roared, and ran out of the door, the rest of his Betas calling after him in panic. But Liam ignored them, he needed to get to the damn skate park and do something. His wolf was snapping inside him, his IED was breaking through and his heart was hammering against his chest. 

Even with how riled up he was, Liam was surprised how fast he reached the skate park and went to follow Theo’s scent straight away. The chimera was still on the ground, clutching his arm and whimpering, but he was alone. Liam growled and looked around, trying to find the Alpha but he was already gone. Sadie and Maya appeared shortly after and knelt next to Theo, taking care of him. Liam looked back at Theo who looked up at him, face pale from pain. “He broke my arm.” He gasped and held his injured limp. Liam growled again and spun around.

“YOU WANT ME?? HERE I AM!! COME AND GET ME BUT DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH MY BETAS!!!!!” He screamed into the evening air, partly hoping the Alpha would jump him and Liam could rip him to shreds for touching Theo. He waited, chest rising and falling fastly with his ragged breaths and he roared in warning before he spun around and fell to his knees in front of Theo, grabbing Theo’s face with both hands and making him look at him. 

“Hey, look at me! Did he do anything else?”  
Theo shook his head and pressed his eyes shut when a wave of nausea hit him. Liam looked down, Theo’s arm looked complicatedly broken, the Alpha wanted it to hurt as long as possible. Now Liam took Theo’s not injured wrist and concentrated. The black veins sneaked up his arm and took some of Theo’s pain away. Theo looked grateful but still completely beat and Liam helped the girls pull him to his feet. “Let’s get you home.”  
Theo nodded and Sadie and Maya steadied him. They started walking and Liam picked up Theo’s skateboard and carried it while trailing after his Betas with one last look at the dark park. The Alpha surely was still around and Liam wanted nothing more than to get his hands on him and strangle him. Nobody touched his First Beta!

Back at the apartment the core pack plus Isaac sat in the living room and tried to cope with the new threat in town. Theo sat on one couch, broken arm rested on a pillow to favor his injured limp. It’d take a few hours for his bones to heal back and he tried not to move too much. 

 “So the Alpha is hostile. That’s just great.” Nolan, who sat on the floor and leaned against the couch, said with a sigh. “That means trouble.”

“It first and foremost means Liam was right and he was watching us.” Theo said quietly and glanced at their Alpha who stood in front of the window, arms crossed in front of his chest, and stared at the couch table, a dark look on his face. When he heard Theo talking about him, he raised his head slightly and glanced back at the twenty-one-year-old. He wished he had been wrong, really.

Sadie was the first to speak. “Liam, I’m sorry I called you paranoid. Guess, we all were a bit too careless.”  
Liam shook his head tiredly. “Sadie, forget it. Really.”  
“No. I have to apologize too.” Theo cut in. “Should have believed you and your gut feeling.”  
Liam swallowed and then he could not keep it at bay anymore. “It hurt when you also thought I was paranoid. I thought you of all people would get me.” He admitted. Theo looked at him and swallowed.  
“I’m sorry, Lee. I’m not always...good at this. And I’m especially not good at this when I have to worry. I want you to be happy, you know? Sometimes I’m making mistakes and do the exact opposite of helping you with getting happy. I’m sorry.” He said sincerely.   
Maya sighed. “Yoy guys, can you please reschedule your marriage counseling? We have a more important problem right now. What are we supposed to do right now?”

Liam walked over and sat on the armrest next to Theo. He stroked over Theo’s neck and then took more pain from him which got himself a grateful look from Theo and the chimera leaning into him. “We stay together. None of us goes alone anymore. We go in groups of at least two. No matter where, no matter what, at least two of us stay together.” He ordered.  
“I can do that with Nolan.” Isaac agreed immediately. “I can bring you to your classes and pick you up.”  
“But then you would be alone while driving to work.” Nolan added for consideration.   
“I don’t think he will attack me, I’m not part of the pack. He wants to challenge Liam and I’m just an ally. And technically, and I’m stressing the pack term very far by that, I’m still part of Scott’s pack. That means he would go against two Alphas and even a rogue Alpha is not that dumb.”  
“Okay.” Nolan gave a weak smile. He could worry about other things now. Liam spoke again.

“Since the Alpha is here, I won’t call the others right now. I don’t think he will get to them and it seems he is alone. You all know what to do. If you see or hear anything suspicious, you call us others immediately. You hear me?”  
Everyone nodded. “And, guys, please, for everything that’s good, please be careful.” Liam summed it up. He didn’t want to lose anyone. It was one of his biggest fears. They had gone years without losing anyone from their pack in Beacon Hills, he intended to keep it that way here in Seattle.

Ever shook her head. “I just don’t understand why he targeted Theo and in that way. He could have ripped him to shreds, why just break his arm?”

“He plays.” Liam said. “He knew I was on the phone but he still decided to address Theo as the messenger. He wanted to portray his brute strength and show us he is superior. Stronger than us. Like he’s the cat and we are the mice he plays with. And he targeted Theo because he is my weak spot.”Theo looked at him, ready to say something but Lim gently shushed him. “You are because you are my anchor. But that’s okay, if he ever lays a finger on you I will rip every single one of his extremities apart.” His eyes flashed while he said that and his voice grew growlier and deeper, typical Alpha voice.

******  
Despite the threat of the rogue Alpha looming over them, they all decided to go with Liam’s plan and let the rogue come to them. That meant they went to their classes, to work and to practice. Latter just had ended and Liam stuffed his bag with his sweaty lacrosse gear. Time for a visit to the washer. When he was sure he got everything, he slammed his locker shut, shouldered his bag and left the locker room. Sadie was waiting for him outside and together Alpha and Beta walked home. Sadie would stay with Liam and Theo tonight. “Anything new?” She asked and Liam shook his head. “For you?”

She shook her head at his question. “No and I’m not sure I am happy about that. A part of me wants to believe the Alpha left town again.” She was right, since a few days there were no signs of the Alpha and Liam wished she was right but he knew this was wishful thinking. The rogue was watching them, spying on them, and he hated it. 

“He’s still in town and he’s still playing with us. We can’t let him get into our heads. That’s what he wants.”

“I’m just happy we have each other. Being all alone would drive me crazy.” Sadie mumbled and Liam put one arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “We have each other’s backs, that’s what this pack is all about.” He smiled softly at her but then he heard it. A steady drip-drop but it wasn’t raining and had not been raining before so it could not be the rain dropping down. And now that he focused, he noticed the smell of chemicals but also something more biological. Blood.

“Do you smell and hear that?“ He asked Sadie and she frowned but followed his momentum and tilted her head. “Ist hat blood?“ She asked. 

“Hey, wait!“  
Hastily she followed her Alpha who was already marching into the direction the smell came from. His wolf was snarling inside his chest and clearly signaled a warning for Liam. Something wasn‘t right and his wolf was ready to come out and protect him. He had lived too long in Beacon Hills to expect anything else than some gruesome scene waiting for them.

They stepped into the science wing of the university and followed the scent towards the end of the hallway. On top of the stairs laid the bloodied corpse of one of the janitors, his blood slowly dripping down the stairs and his cleaning materials splattered all over the floor. His eyes wide open in shock but lifeless and his intestines all over the place. Sadie screamed and clasped a hand in front of her mouth and Liam clenched his jaw. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. When he had finished the call, Sadie looked at him completely bewildered.  
“Are you not the least bit shocked?“  
“I am and I’d love to say that this is the worst thing I ever saw but truth is that’s not my first corpse. Welcome to Beacon Hills where most of the popularity is either supernatural or dead. Or both in some cases.“

Liam looked at the janitor and then eyed the scene further. “I know what he wants. If this pack doesn’t follow willingly, he will erase us.” He suddenly said. There on the wall, painted in red, Liam would take a wild guess and say it was the janitor’s blood, was their pack symbol but it was crossed out.

******  
Again the pack, minus Isaac this time, found themselves in Theo’s and Liam’s apartment, this time in the kitchen. The mood was serious, tensed, they all were shocked by what happened hours ago. 

“I just don’t get it. What’s his goal?” Maya asked and shoved a hand full off chips in her mouth. She had jumped on the kitchen counter and declared she was a stress eater and that’s why she brought snacks. 

“He wants’s a pack.” Theo said from where he sat on the other counter, next to Liam. “He said Liam is in the way of what he wants. Liam leads our pack, he’s the Alpha. An Alpha, a wolf, is always stronger with a pack. So whatever the guy has planned, he wants to be stronger and therefore he needs a pack. And it’s easier to go for an already established pack and subject it than starting a new one.”  
“And if we don’t go with what he wants, he will destroy all of us.” Ever finished the thought.  
“And by destroy he means...” Nolan trailed off.

“Kill every single one of us.” Liam said gravely. They all looked at him, how he sat on the counter, fingers clenched around the edge, and staring at the floor. He could not forget the dead body they found and he could not shake the thought that this was his fault. He should have tracked down the Alpha and killed him as fast as possible. Now an innocent person had lost their life because the Alpha thought killing was something to prove a point.  

“You’re either with him or you will die a presumably painful death.” He boiled it down and looked up. “Me, he will kill me the soon that he can. But you? You will get a chance to live. As his Betas. Wars were won like that.”

“He won’t kill you! We won’t let him!” Theo immediately objected and the others nodded. They would protect their Alpha. 

“You know he’s stronger than all of you. And he’s cold-hearted, ruthless, brutal. Too risky that he kills you.”

“I’m not letting you die.” Theo said firmly and looked at Liam, hazel eyes shining with determination.

“Yeah, well, I’m not letting you die either.” Liam replied just as determined and firm. The two glared at each other and it felt like back then, at the hospital when they told each other something similar. Back then they had lied, this time they were both completely honest. Neither Theo nor Liam would let each other get killed.

“Okay, then nobody dies on our side. Good compromise.” Theo said with a curt nod. Liam wanted to smile and agree but he knew that would be hard to keep. It always was in fights like that. He wished they had more time but he had the strange feeling time was running out. The kill of the janitor was a sign the Alpha was getting impatient. He had enough of waiting for them to make their move and was now forcing them to act. The thing was, Liam had no idea what his next move would be.

Liam’s phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out. An unknown caller flashed across his screen and he was lured to decline but something told him to accept. “Hello?”

“Hello...I’m going to call you Alpha for now. Hope you liked my little present. I was told it’s improper to visit without a gift. And did you like my little wall decoration? A true masterpiece, don’t you think?”

Liam growled and his eyes flashed. “What do you want?”

“I’m sure you already figured that out. You’re not the brightest but even you should be able to put two and two together.” The Alpha mocked him and Liam gripped his phone tight. “I’ll find you and I’m gonna kill you!”

“No, no, little Alpha, you won’t. You’re not half the Alpha it would take to even land one fatal blow. Your pack on the other hand...I could use them. The blonde angry one would be a perfect killer. And the dark wolf, she would be merciless and rip her enemies apart, The witch...She needs some training in the darker arts but she will come around. The hunter is a joke. I would have him as a plaything for my Betas, watch as they rip him apart with their greedy claws. The only problem is your true and loyal first Beta. See, he is that loyal, he would never accept me as Alpha and would try everything to kill me. I will enjoy ripping his throat out in front of you, watch while you see the life leave his eyes, and then kill you.” He laughed and Liam’s eyes flitted to Theo before he snarled.   
“I will kill you if you touch him ever again!”  
“Then come and find me, sorry excuse for an Alpha. It’s either you who dies tonight or more innocent people.” The line went dead and Liam almost broke his phone from grabbing it so hard. 

“This fucking bastard! He’s trying to lure us out! I will....” He tried to calm himself, calm his anger; no use in freaking out. No matter how mad with rage he was, he needed to keep a clear head and focus. His pack would suffer if he didn’t.

The other wolves in the kitchen whined at seeing their Alpha so angry, a natural reflex. But it also made them ready for battle. “So what now?” Maya inquired, right when Nolan’s phone beeped. They all jumped and he fished it out of his pocket. When he looked at the screen, he visibly paled which was impressive since he was already pale as it could be.   
“There is a university rave going on and some students share stories about a guy with glowing red eyes being there. Most say it’s special effects and somebody hired for the party but, Liam...” He looked at the Alpha, eyes wide in shock, and Liam clenched his jaw.  
“That’s what he said. More people will die tonight. If we don’t get there fast, the bodies will pile!”

Theo got to his feet. “You know this is a trap, right?”  
Liam jumped from the counter. “I know.” He just said.   
“And we’re still going?” Theo assured himself.  
Liam nodded. “Yep.” He said.  
“You know this is crazy?”  
“Absolutely.” Liam agreed. “But I really, really, _really_ don’t want any more corpses. One was already enough. I _can’t_ let him be there and kill harmless  people who just wanted to have fun at a college party!”  
Theo looked at Liam for a while and then he nodded. “Okay.”

******  
They all stood in front of the warehouse the party was going on. The music was blaring and the Alpha obviously had not caused a stampede yet. Liam knew it was part of the game the rogue was still playing. 

Liam took a deep breath. “Guys, whatever happens, promise me you will watch out for each other after tonight.”   
Sadie looked shocked. “Liam, that sounds like goodbye.”  
He gave her a sad smile. “I don’t have any illusions about how high my chances are to survive this so I just wanted to make sure you guys know. Everything can happen but whatever happens in the end, you’re my family and I want you to promise me this, okay?”

“Stop that!” Theo growled and faced Liam with a pained look on his face. “Stop talking about you dying! You won’t die tonight! None of us will!”  
“Theo, this guy is older than me, longer an Alpha than me and that means he is stronger. I’m just being realistic. That’s usually your part.”  
“I don’t want to be realistic in that regard! I don’t want to think about you dying! I...Liam, you’re everything I have! Everything I have, I have because of you! I don’t know....” He shook his head and the pained look only increased. “I don’t know how I could go on if you died! So stop talking about this, okay? I’m not letting you die!”

Liam looked at one of his best friends and then stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Theo. The chimera wrapped his arms around Liam too and held him tight. “Please, be careful, Lee. We all need you and I need you the most!” He muttered into Liam’s ear and Liam squeezed him.  
“Promise me the same, Dore. Be careful and keep an eye on our Betas.”  
“Our Betas are safe with me.” Theo promised. 

They hugged for several more moments and then let go, looking at each other with sad smiles on their faces.   
“I need you in big bad chimera mode.” Liam tried to lighten the mood.  
“I need you in total Alpha mode.” Theo teased back.  
They all knew it was gallows humor. Now Liam looked at his pack. “Everybody ready?”

They nodded and he started walking towards the entrance. The party was in full swing and they used a perfect moment to sneak in and look around. Their tactic was to spread out but still keep some sort of eye contact. Liam let his eyes travel over the dancing crowd, His heart was beating loudly, he probably would never get over the fear that came with such a showdown. He was never a very faithful man but moments like this made him pray everything would turn out fine and everybody would still be alive after that night.

_“Look at that, you finally decided to man up an appear.”_

Liam spun around, expecting to see the Alpha standing behind him, but he was just surrounded by dancing people. The Alpha had to be near but he used Liam’s enhanced hearing to mess with him. He growled, knowing the other would hear that. “Stop playing, asshole. You want a fight, let’s go out and fight.” He grumbled while moving around the warehouse, looking at any suspicious persons. The everchanging light made it difficult to see anything that looked like glowing eyes or whatever and he grew even tenser. The more time they spent searching for the Alpha the more people he could hurt in the meantime. 

He tried to connect with his inner wolf. He needed the animal to show him the way, find the Alpha and get him away from the crowd. His human senses would not do much for him right now, But that also meant calming down the raging animal inside him. He could not shift in the middle of the dancefloor!

But suddenly his animal seemed to have decided that working together was the better way because his eyes flashed and he turned left to see another par of red eyes staring back at him from the back of the room. Liam growled and made his way towards the rogue. Dancing bodies were blocking his way and he had to change his way more than once so that when he reached the place the Alpha had been, the rogue was gone. Liam bit his lip in frustration but then spotted another door leading to another part of the warehouse. 

“Maya already went there.” Sadie had appeared next to Liam and Theo appeared on his other side. “Nolan went around to try and find another way in and use the element of surprise.”

Liam nodded to signaled he had understood her and then opened the door to step into the other, quieter part of the warehouse. It was dark and he looked around, using his Alpha eyes to see. He saw Maya on the stairs leading to the gallery all over the ground floor. She just shrugged, indicating she had lost the Alpha. Nolan was somewhere in the back, Liam heard his heartbeat. Ever’s heartbeat was somewhere there too, she obviously was Nolan’s back up. 

And then suddenly all hell broke loose. The Alpha swung from a higher part of the gallery right in front of Maya and attacked her. She defended herself but Liam only saw her getting pushed over the railing and falling to the ground. The fall would not kill her but from how she landed, she was out of order momentarily. And the Alpha didn’t stop. He jumped and attacked Nolan, ripping his crossbow away and breaking it into two. Ever screamed and tried to push him away with her magic. It made the rogue stumble back a few steps but then he laughed. His face was more feral than human, Liam had rarely seen something like this before. His teeth were bloodied and had he thought the wendigo had looked creepy, that guy killed it by far. His fangs were long, sharp, and now they almost pierced the skin on Nolan’s arm. Ever yanked him back and then the Alpha grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up, just like Nolan with the other hand. Both struggled in his grip and Sadie howled before running towards the Alpha. 

She jumped on his back and bit on his shoulder in an attempt to make him lose his grip. He roared but just shook her off and made her fall to the floor. He squeezed Nolan’s and Ever’s throats again and both struggled to breathe. Liam acted without thinking. He and Theo raced over, Theo jumping the guy and digging his claws into his arm, making the Alpha growl in pain. Liam raked his claws over the rogue’s back, clawing the skin open and this time making him drop Nolan and Ever who were barely conscious at this point. Sadie and Theo fought with Liam now to keep the Alpha restrained but like Liam had feare,they were no match for the brutal force of the Alpha.  Not long after he shook off Theo and grabbed Sadie to smash her head against a wall. She slumped to the floor and Liam only registered that she was still breathing but then the Alpha threw off Theo, making him crash to the floor and even slid over it a bit, before spinning around and connecting his fist with Liam’s jaw. 

It hurt and Liam stumbled back, shaking his head to clear the dizziness. He attacked again when he could but the Alpha grabbed his arm and pulled it back, making Liam scream in pain. Next thing he knew, he was roughly pressed against the wall, cheek scraping over it. “I will enjoy watching you while I rip your pack apart. Kill one by one. It will be your fault because you brought them here. And when you are just a sobbing mess, I will kill you, slow and painful. But I will start with your beloved first Beta. I will kill him even slower and he will beg me to finally let him die while all you can do is watch like the weak dog you are.” He snarled into Liam’s ear and Liam struggled but he would only dislocate his shoulder instead of getting free and he howled in anger.

But then the Alpha howled, in pain again, because Theo’s claws dug into his back. He let go of Liam and reached behind to yank Theo away by the back of his shirt. Liam stumbled back and held his bleeding cheek but when he saw the Alpha grabbing Theo, he jumped again. This time, however, the Alpha fended him off, pushing Liam to the floor. Maya was next, having come to her senses again. She tried jumping him from the gallery and she kicked and bit and scratched him but she soon landed next to Liam. They both looked at each other and nodded and then jumped up again to attack the rogue at the same time while Theo was distracting him.

Having now three against one proofed to be a problem for the Alpha and he had some difficulties to ward them off but he was also clever and fast and strong and they hit the ground more often than not. Luckily Ever and Sadie joined them. They also jumped in, Ever trying some telekinetic moves to make him fall but her powers were not strong enough for that. Sadie bit him and scratched his face, making him bleed heavily, but he just howled and scratched Maya’s chest in retaliation. Maya winced in pain and had to let go to hold her bleeding chest. Nolan, a bit further away, had retrieved his crossbow and was pointing it at the Alpha.

The Alpha’s claw shot forward and wrapped around Ever’s neck. Now his claws digged into her throat and Liam recognized the situation. “Stop!” He screamed, “He will rip her throat out!”

His warning worked and his Betas jumped back, Ever struggled and the Alpha grinned. “Your soft heart will be your weakness. You have to make sacrifices.” He taunted Liam and the younger Alpha roared. Him and his Betas had the rogue surrounded and yet it was him who called the shots. 

“I thought you wanted her part of your pack. Can’t do that when you kill her.”

“That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” The Alpha told him with a shrug. Ever whimpered and struggled against his grip. One hand dropped and she pulled it in her pocket. When she pulled it back, she threw some black powder at him and he screamed in agony. Mountain ash. His grip dropped her and she hastily scattered away, holding the bleeding cuts on her neck.

The rogue stumbled back, rubbings his eyes and mewling in pain. She had hit him right in the face with her surprise attack and it gave her pack enough momentum to attack again. And this time Liam was sure they could overpower him. But then the Alpha roared loudly, making his ears shrill with the sound, and kicked Sadie away who flew against Nolan and both were on the floor. Maya and Liam were still on him but the Alpha spun around again, warding them off again,  and then he was face to face with Theo. He grinned darkly, grabbed the chimera by the throat and pressed him to the floor. The impact made Theo hiss in pain and he struggled against the tight hold the Alpha had on him. And then Liam witnessed a scene he only ever saw in his nightmares: The Alpha’s claws dug into his anchor’s thorax and immediately blood flowed around his claws and he slowly started dragging his claws down, intending to slice Theo’s chest open. Theo threw his head back and screamed in pain, struggling to get away from this torture. 

Liam reacted on autopilot and his wolf momentarily took over. He jumped to his feet and then towards the two of them. Grabbing the Alpha’s wrist he brutally pulled it back, making his claw slip out of Theo’s flesh and blood splatter on their clothes. Liam roared and pushed the rogue one back while Theo curled onto his side and whimpered in pain, hands pressed against his bleeding chest. Sadie and Nolan were at his side, tried to help him soothe the pain while Liam and the Alpha fought. Both were wolfed out, eyes flashing red, fangs bared. They pushed away from each other, but only to ran towards and then they jumped, grabbing each other’s wrists and measuring their strengths, roaring into each other’s faces. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn't expect me to not end with a cliffhanger, right? I mean, come on, a little bit of thrill never hurt anyone, right?


	14. The aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight continues and we see the aftermath of it.

The Alphas struggled with each other, snapped and growled. The noise from the party next door almost swallowed it but for those who were there and watched the fight, it was terrifying to see two angry werewolves attacking each other without any mercy. 

Liam growled. The guy had come into his town and had touched his pack, harming all of them. But what was even worse and fueled Liam’s anger even better was that the guy had touched Theo several times and almost killed him. And the way he hurt Theo? Liam knew Theo’s nightmares were about Tara ripping his heart out and this rogue had almost done the same. He would pay for that, even if Liam had to drag him to hell himself!

The rogue Alpha snarled into Liam’s face. “You’re no match for me, kid!“ He mocked and Liam snapped at him, freeing one hand and raking his claws right over the guy’s face. It left some nasty claw marks but Liam could not dwell on that because the Alpha roared and his claws pierced Liam‘s shoulder before pulling them down and ripping the skin on Liam‘s arm open.  Liam yelped and struggled back, holding the large gash leading from his shoulder to his elbow. “See?“ The Alpha still mocked him. “I will enjoy ripping you apart limb after limb.“

Liam just growled. “We will see about that, asshole!“ He barked back and went for attacking the other again. His main goal was to get him away from the rest of the pack first. They had all gathered and were watching the fight, all in various states of being injured and so they could not interfere. Theo was still on the floor, clutching his still bleeding chest even though Sadie and Nolan tried to stop the bleeding. It took one look at all of them for Liam’s anger to spike again and attack with new ferocity. 

But even with his wolf so close to the surface and his anger completely acting out, Liam had to realize the other was stronger. He was an Alpha for a longer time than Liam and he was older, Liam wasn’t as strong currently as him. It didn’t mean he would give up, no he intended to fight til the end but never had his vision of dying tonight been closer than now. One wrong move and Liam could be dead and they both knew it. And yet Liam also knew luck could be on his side and he maybe managed to land a fatal blow himself. Everything was possible and as long as his Betas came out of this fight alive, Liam would do whatever it took to ensure this. 

“Liam!“ Ever screeched when the rogue scratched his claws all over the younger Alpha’s cheek and his chin. Blood poured from the wounds and Liam roared in pain, ducking from yet another swing and landed one himself on the Alpha’s hip, ripping his shirt and scratching the skin open.  
“Help him!“ Theo instructed the others through gritted teeth,. He had sat up with Nolan’s help but was still tending to his wounds and too weak to interfere himself. “For fuck’s sake, help Liam!“

“STAY!“ Liam yelled, his voice lower like always when he slipped into Alpha mode. Sadie and Maya and even Ever had been about to go up and help him but now they hesitated. Their Alpha had ordered them to stay and no one dared to argue with him or disrespect that. Theo pressed his lips shut, trembling while he watched the fight between the two Alphas, the fear of Liam getting killed evidently on his face. Next moment he screamed loudly when the Alpha’s claws dug into Liam’s abdomen. Liam groaned in pain and grabbed the other‘s wrist.  
“You’re tougher than I expected but even like this you are not able to stop me!“ The Alpha hissed into his ear and Liam trembled, focusing all his anger and rage into his hands, effectively twisting the rogue’s wrist and breaking it. He howled and his claws withdrew from Liam’s flesh. The nineteen-year-old gasped and pressed a hand against his abdomen, feeling the blood coat it. That would be a bitch to heal. He struggled to breathe, black spots dancing in front of his eyes, and he swayed on his feet, pressing one hand against the wall to keep himself standing.

The other Alpha took some time to snap his bones right back but then he lunged at Liam and the Alphas collided against each other again, wrapped around each other, biting, scratching and trying to cause as much damage as possible. The pack could only watch and take a breath when Liam landed a blow, and watch helplessly when the other landed one and injured Liam.  
The fight took everything from Liam, his muscles were strained and the only thing keeping him going down was the adrenaline pumping through his veins. But the longer the fight went on, the more it wore him down. The other was also worn down but the two Alphas would only stop if one of them was dead, that was for sure.

Liam groaned in pain when his back collided with the concrete wall. The Alphas were still once more measuring their strengths and kept their death holds on each other. He saw the twitching in the other’s muscles and fear spiked inside him because the other took the last bit of energy he had left and was ready to go for the final blow. If Liam made one wrong move now, he was dead. The rogue werewolf seemed to know what he was thinking because he smirked darkly, very sure about his victory. “Any last words, kid?“  
Liam growled, face twisting in an angry snarl, still grabbing the Alpha’s arms and not intending on letting go. He would put this off as long as he could, but another shove from the other and his back, as well as the back of his head, hit the wall and Liam tasted blood in his mouth; he obviously had bit his tongue in the momentum. His red eyes stared in the cold ones of the older Alpha and he growled once more but the pressure the other was putting on him was wearing away the last bit of energy he had.

A gunshot rang out and blood splattered on Liam’s face when the bullet hit the Alpha right in the head. The death grip on Liam‘s loosened, empty eyes stared back at him, and then the Alpha fell to the side. Liam turned his head and there was Chris Argent, gun still pointed at the dead Alpha and seriously, Liam had never been happier to see a hunter. He looked back at the dead Alpha and back at Argent where Isaac stood next to. “I thought you could use some firepower.“ He explained and Liam nodded dumbly and then looked over to his Betas. In his haste to get to them, especially to Theo, he almost fell flat on his face but he managed to keep himself upright and fall to his knees only when he reached them.

“Theo! Are you okay? Are all of you okay?“ He asked worriedly, hands coming up to grip Theo‘s shoulder and Ever’s hand. He needed to see, needed to feel they were still alive.His voice was shaking, partly because he was so shaken up from the fight and partly because he had been scared.   
Theo grasped his face with bloodied hands. “It‘s over, Liam. He’s dead. I’m okay. We are okay.“ He said, eyes glistening with tears.

Liam nodded and then wrapped his arms around Theo as tight as his exhausted state let him. Theo winced slightly when he moved too much, his chest was still injured after all, but then he hugged Liam back. It was bloody and gross but they didn’t care at this very moment. And then the rest of the pack was around them, hugging and crying and being happy they all survived.

Liam looked over his shoulder at Argent after a while. “I have never been more happy to see your face.“ He told him and Argent barked out a laugh.  
“Should have called from the beginning; this Alpha was dangerous.“ He eyed Liam and the rest of the pack. “I have a first aid kit in my car. You all look like you need it.“  
It was when Liam looked around, taking in his pack’s appearance. “Everybody okay? Still all limbs intact?“  
“Alive and kicking.“ Ever, one of the two who had not enhanced healing, said with a tired smile and rubbed over the claw marks on her throat. Nolan put an arm around her and nodded tiredly.  
“Nothing some sleeping and a hot shower can’t fix.“ Maya said. Liam nodded and looked at Theo who also nodded. “We will be fine, Lee.“ The chimera promised.

Argent had watched the exchange and pointed two fingers at his own eyes. “I guess, Scott has no idea of the sudden change in your eye color.“  
Liam bit his lip. Argent was dating Scott’s mother, he had totally forgotten that. “Will you tell him?“  
“Should I tell him?“ The hunter asked back. Liam shook his head.  
“Please, no.“  
“Then I won’t. This is something you have to do yourself.“  
“He didn’t kill anyone. He became an Alpha by ritual.“ Theo said and Argent glanced at him,  
“Is that right? I heard about this way of becoming an Alpha but never met a pack who practiced it. I would lie if I said I’m not interested in that. It’s a different take on the whole killing for the Alpha spark twist.“

“I can answer you some questions later if you want.” Liam slowly got to his feet and helped Theo up. The rest followed, attempting to follow Argent’s offer with the first aid kit. “After we patched us up we go home and sleep. Sleep is what we need the mo….“ Liam stopped mid-sentence and paused to listen.  
“Liam?“ Sadie asked with a frown, just like Theo who looked around to see any other danger. “Lee?“ He also asked.  
But Liam didn’t reply, instead kept on listening. “Don‘t you hear that?“ He asked finally and followed whatever he was hearing. It was faint and since the party was still taking part next door it was easy to overhear but now that Liam noticed it, he filtered it out and followed the faint sound.  
 _One beat.  
_ _Two beats.  
_ _Three beats._  
Liam reached a pile of boxes from big to small. The beats got louder again and he narrowed it down to one large box with a loose lid. He pulled it aside and when he glanced inside, he heard a curse over his shoulder. Not because he cursed, but Sadie, who had followed him and was looking over his shoulder, did. Liam had to agree. Inside the box were two young men, not older than Liam himself, unconscious but alive (it were their heartbeats that had lured Liam here after all). Both had cuts on their forehead, showing the Alpha had brutally knocked them out and tossed them into the box. And that it had been the Alpha was easy to find out because both men spotted bloody bite marks on their arms.

“Isaac, help me!“ Liam said and the older werewolf quickly moved over to help get one of the two out of the box while Argent and Nolan took the other. They leaned the still unconscious bodies against the box and Liam kneeled down to check on them. The rest of the pack had gathered around them, Maya and Ever still steadying Theo.  
“He bit them? Why? I thought he didn’t want a new pack.“ Ever phrased her confusion.  
“It was his plan B.“ Theo said. “In case he didn’t manage to kill Liam tonight. He would have escaped and if those two survived the bite, we would have two wild werewolves running around. An Alpha can have some kind of telepathic connection to their Betas and so he can control them. What do you think would have happened?“  
“Chaos.“ Maya and Liam said matter-of-factly and in unison. Liam growled and watched the two boys with a pitiful look on his face.  
They were both dark blonde haired, the one on the left with paler skin and skinnier than the one on the right. Liam could only guess but he would say they were the same height as him and Theo. Their clothing style was completely different. The one on the right was wearing a black leather jacket with a dark red shirt underneath and black skinny pants, the other was wearing a crisp blue shirt and a sleeveless pullover a creamy color, paired with some more loose fitting blue jeans. But no matter how different they might be, they both were in the same position Liam had been years ago. They would wake up and their life would be completely different.

“Can we get them into your car?“ He asked Argent and the hunter nodded. “Where do you want to go?“  
“Theo found an old stable a few weeks ago. We use it on the full moons. We’ll bring them there.“

That’s how they all found themselves a good time later at the stable. It was a big building with several horseboxes. Theo had found it one day while being out for a run and had suggested it to the others. Maya’s shed had gotten too small for two out of control werewolves who wanted to kill each other during the full moons and the walls here were sturdy enough and had enough haltering for the chains. It also wasn‘t surrounded by buildings and stood on an empty field so nobody would hear the howling and snarling. It was the perfect solution.

Now they were all there, waiting for the two freshly bitten wolves to wake up again. Liam stood a few feet away, arms crossed, and looking at them while thinking about his own bite.

“I don’t like the look on your face.“ Theo said and stepped next to him. Liam frowned and looked at him, one questioning eyebrow raised.  
“The look on your face, that’s the I-will-help-them-no-matter-what-look. And no. Liam, no!“  
“They were probably bitten against their will! We have to help them!“  
“We already have two werewolves who have no control and lose the little bit they have every full moon. Now you want to add two more? Make it four untamed werewolves against us, perfect math! That‘s a recipe for disaster.“  
"We can’t leave them by themselves!” Liam insisted.  
“I didn't say we should. But send them to the Morning Dew Pack or to Scott, they can teach them control. We already have enough problems with two wild wolves.“ Theo argued back. Liam glared at him.   
“Sending them away would mean ripping them out of their lives. They already had something happen to them against their will because I don’t think the Alpha asked nicely, you want to unroot them now too?“ He kept on insisting, voice rising with every word. The night was taking its toll on Liam, his IED was twitching under the surface and since the adrenaline was still in his blood, he was prone to explode.   
“Liam, they need to learn control!  Don’t you think you’re putting too much on your plate? Just because you are an Alpha that doesn’t mean you have to become some sort of werewolf guru. That’s Scott’s job!” The had gotten louder too and now the two friends stood facing each other, glaring holes into each other’s heads and neither planned on backing down. 

“Shouldn't you understand it somehow? You were manipulated and had things happening to your body you surely didn’t want. Shouldn’t you be able to relate?” Liam snapped.  
“That’s different and you know it! You have no idea if they willingly accepted the bite or not, and just because you have this weird melancholic feeling because you were also bitten doesn’t mean you have to collect werewolves. They are not Pokemon, sweetheart! You don’t have to catch them all!”

Liam grunted at the nickname and huffed out an angry breath. “I need fresh air!” He then announced, spun around and marched outside. He would have loved to slam the door but he refrained from doing so.

Outside the cold air hit him like a soothing washcloth or whatever and Liam took some deep breaths, trying to calm down. They all were tensed, worn out by the events from prior that night, and a part of him knew Theo was just worried Liam was overdoing it.  But the bigger part of him was just too riled up to listen. He took some steps away from the door and then tilted his head back, looked at the night sky and just...looked at it. His thoughts were racing and just standing there, doing nothing, was good. It helped clear the fog in his mind a little bit.

But with that came also the realization of everything that happened tonight. The adrenaline that priory cursed through his body was now leaving and made room for exhausting and panic.   
Liam leaned against the wall, trying to remember how to breathe properly. His legs were shaking and the impressions of the fight flashed in front of his eyes. Ever and Nolan almost getting strangled, Maya falling from the gallery, Sadie getting thrown away, Theo’s chest getting sliced open by the Alpha, the Alpha’s dead eyes when the bullet hit. Theo. The Alpha’s grim smile. Theo. Nolan. Ever. Theo. Chris Argent killing the Alpha. Theo. Sadie. The bitten men. Theo. He had almost not survived the fight. The Alpha had almost been stronger than Liam. He could have been dead by now if it weren’t for Chris Argent.The images spun faster and faster in front of his eyes until it was all a blur, his breath was getting more labored by the second and he felt dizzy. 

“Breathe, Liam!” Two strong hands pressed on his shoulders and grounded him and Liam blinked. “Just breathe.” A soft voice said again and he tried to follow the instructions, tried to make sense of it in his fogged up brain. “In and out, just like that. Keep breathing.”

Liam blinked again and slowly his senses returned to where he currently was, leaned against the stable and breathing still faster than usual. But he also felt the soft pressure on his shoulders and when he blinked again the blurry figure of Theo became sharp again. The chimera was watching him with a shocked look on his face, softly massaging Liam’s shoulders to ground him even more.

“Are you with me again?” He asked and Liam nodded, not trusting his voice in this moment. He knew he felt tired and shaky and then his legs gave up and he slid down on the wall to the ground. Theo followed him, gently wrapping his hands around Liam’s wrists.

“I am sorry I started a fight with you. Sometimes...” Theo’s thumbs stroke over Liam’s pulse points and he sighed. “Sometimes it’s very hard for me to understand how big your heart is. Because mine isn’t that big and I struggle with understanding how you can be so willing to help people without them actually asking you to. How you can switch to the caring mode so easily. But then I remember that it’s this big heart that gave me a roof over my head and a family to love and protect. And then I’m thinking if you can see the good in me, it must be even easier when it comes to other people. And I feel like the biggest jerk ever for giving you a hard time.” He tried a hesitant smile and Liam softly returned it before Theo leaned forward and put his forehead against Liam’s, closing his eyes in the progress. Liam closed his eyes too, just bathing in the closeness of his anchor. It meant a lot that Theo had sought him out to apologize in his own way and that he helped him through his panic attack. 

“You have a good heart too, just look at you. You help me with all these pack things, you are always there when I need you. You are supportive as it can be and you are always there for me.” Liam said softly.  
“Because you are important to me, Lee...And if you want to take them in, help them learn about their new abilities, I will be on your side and help you.” He agreed and Liam chuckled softly. He raised his hand and softly stroke over Theo’s cheek. “I know, Dore. I am sorry too. Didn’t mean to get so harsh.”  
“Forget it. We have more important things to worry about now.” Theo reminded him, just when Ever stepped up to them.  
“Not to disturb you but they are waking up.” She told them and Liam and Theo moved away from each other. Theo pulled him to his feet and kept his hold a little bit longer, gently squeezing Liam’s hand. Liam gave him a soft and grateful smile and then they walked inside again. 

Ever had been right, the two were stirring awake. Liam kneeled down to be on the same eye-level as them and the pack gathered behind him. The one with the leather jacket was the first one to blink his eyes open and when he spotted everyone, he immediately startled awake and pressed himself against the wall behind him. “What the hell?” He asked and looked at them, dark brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. That increased when he looked around. “Where the fuck am I?”

The other bitten one whimpered when he woke up and held his head. When he saw everyone he also startled but different than the first one, he was more scared than angry. Liam could relate to both of it.

“Relax, both of you, please. We are not here to harm you, we want to help you.”  
“Says every psychopath in every movie!” The first snarled and ran a hand through his gelled hair. It was messed up but still more styled than the others who had a very nice and clean way to wear his hair. A little bit longer but not as long as Liam’s had been before he recently cut it. The second one had also lighter hair than the other Liam realized now.   
“We are not psychopaths. Look, I know you are scared and confused by everything that happened tonight. You probably just wanted to enjoy the party and then suddenly this guy was there and everything went down the drain. Am I right?” Liam tried to at least start explaining what happened.

The second one, the one who still looked scared shitless, nodded. “Yes. He ju...jumped me!” He whimpered again, completely traumatized by what happened. “There were teeth and..” He shook his head as if he wanted to delete the pictures in his mind. he looked at his arm and gasped at the bandage the pack had put there.  
“Yes, there were teeth. Fangs to be exact. The guy who bit you, he was a werewolf and I know how crazy this sounds right now but it is the truth. He was a werewolf and he bit you which means you will turn into werewolves too. We all are werewolves too.” Liam pointed at the pack and Ever raised her hand. “Witch!”  
Liam sighed. “We’re all werewolves and she’s a witch. And Nolan over there is a hunter but we all are one pack and we want to help you.” He had straightened up again and the two others also had gotten to their feet also. The darker haired one scoffed. “Yeah, werewolves sure.”   
“It is true and trust me, I was in your shoes once and I know how crazy that sounds. But....”

“No, you have no idea because you either took way too many drugs or you just think this is funny. Is this some sort of sick joke? Capturing two poor souls and the pulling a prank on them? This is not even remotely funny and if you think that, you all deserve to be locked up you sick freaks!” He yelled and then ripped the bandage off his arm. “You even bit us? God, you’re really sick! And you know what? I’m not having it! Werewolves, witches, hunters, really, funny. Not! And I’m not one you can play jokes on just because I don’t hang out with the popular crowd!”

“No, please, listen!” Liam appealed urgently to him. “It is the truth. Werewolves and other things exist and you were pulled into this world without wanting it, I get it makes you angry, but you are about to turn into werewolves and you need to learn control before you hurt somebody!”  
The guy in the creme sleeveless pullover gasped. “I don’t want to hurt anybody!”  
Leatherjacket guy sighed. “They are messing with you.”  
“No, we’re not. We’re all on the same university, right? You heard about the dead janitor? The guy who bit you also killed him. And just because the Alpha who bit you is dead now doesn’t mean you are alone. Our pack can help you, you just need to trust us!”

“I give a rat’s ass! This is a sick joke and I’m not having it. And I’m taking the whimpering mess there with me because I’m not a fan of picking on the weak ones. You took the wrong guy, assholes!” The one in the leather jacket grabbed the other by his arm and brushed past Liam, making sure to shoulder check the Alpha while doing so. Liam let him go but he addressed the softer one once more.  
“You don’t have to go with him. You can stay and we can talk. I’m Liam. Those are Theo, Sadie, Maya, Ever, Nolan, Isaac, and the guy over there is Chris Argent. Not part of the pack but still a friend.”  
He seemed unsure but the other pulled him along with him. “Don’t listen to him. And who says that you didn't kill the janitor? You seem to have quite a psychotic vibe going on!” He yelled into Liam’s face.  
“Say that again!” Sadie and Theo said at the same time and stepped forward to give him a piece of their mind; only to be pulled back by Maya and Ever. “No!”

Liam watched the two leave the stable and sighed. Sadie pointed at the door after a while. “Maya and I are fast, we can overtake them and bring them back.”   
“No. Let them leave.” Liam said with a shake of his head.   
“Excuse me?” Sadie looked put off. “We waited hours for them to wake up, you had a fight with Theo, just to let them leave now?”  
“Well, what do you want me to do? Chain them up here and force them to listen? That would be kidnapping and that’s a crime!” His tone was cutting, he already had one fight tonight, he didn’t need another one  
“But...” Sadie tried but then Maya touched her elbow and gently shook her head.  
“So what now? They don’t want to listen. Are we watching them?” The dark-haired wolf then asked and Liam nodded.   
“That’s exactly what we're going to do. We watch them and maybe they come around when they notice the changes in their bodies. If they don’t, we make sure they don’t hurt anybody on the full moon.”  
“Hm.” Ever said with a grimace. “I get why they didn’t want to listen now. We all look like the Night of the Living Dead. I wouldn’t trust us either.”   
Liam had to chuckle. weakly. “We go home now. Now we really need a hot shower and sleep.”

******  
After they had made sure all their Betas were home safe, Theo and Liam had returned to their apartment. Liam had let Theo have the shower and typed a text for the rest of the pack to let them know everyone was still alive. On their side at least. He promised to explain everything after he slept because now his brain felt like mush and he rarely could keep himself on his feet. When Theo was done in the shower Liam grabbed fresh PJs and then went for a quick shower. Washing off all the blood and the dirt felt good and Liam stayed under the warm water until it turned cold before he dried himself off. 

After his panic attack earlier, he felt his whole body ache and walked into the kitchen to fill a glass with water and drop a magnesium pill into it. “Should I be worried about you?” Theo asked.   
Liam shook his head. “Just something I learned from my dad. I did it when my muscles were all sore from training and before I got turned. But maybe it still works.” He downed the drink in one go and when he was finished grimaced. “Time for bed.” It was already morning but Liam couldn’t care less. Right now, he could sleep the whole day.   
“Are you okay?” He inquired and stopped walking by Theo. The chimera smiled softly. “My scratches take some time to heal but I am fine.” He assured Liam and the young Alpha smiled. “Good.”  
Theo looked at him as if he was pending on something and then he took Liam’s hand in his, turned around and softly tugged him towards Liam’s room. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

“What are you doing?” Liam asked irritated and surprised by Theo’s antics when the chimera led him into his own room but made no move to leave.   
“Guess we both went through a lot tonight so maybe sleeping in the same bed would be good? We’re anchoring each other and I can just talk for me  but I would like to have you close.”

Liam could get behind that and nodded. He yawned and crawled under the covers. Theo followed his example on the other side and they both curled under Liam’s warm blanket. Liam turned the light off and was grateful for his thick curtains which would keep out the light of the day while they slept. He rolled onto his side, facing Theo, and smiled. “Night, Dore.”  
“Night, Lee.” 

Liam closed his eyes and intended to fall asleep but soon slowly moved closer to Theo. He needed to know the other was there because every time he closed his eyes, the scene where the Alpha almost killed Theo was prominent in front of his eyes and he tensed. Theo obviously noticed and reached out to take Liam’s hand in his. The room became quite while both tried to fall asleep but then Theo whispered.  
“Liam?”  
“Hm?” Liam grunted without opening his eyes.  
“Never say again that you fear you will die and then really almost die, okay?” Theo’s voice sounded strange and Liam opened his eyes to see the chimera on his back, staring at the ceiling with tears in his hazel eyes. He raised Liam’s hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against the Alpha’s wrist, right where their pack symbol was tattooed. It was a sweet gesture and Liam had to smile.

“I’m sorry for scaring you.” He said lovingly and Theo turned his head to look at him. “And I’m sorry for scaring you.” He replied.

They looked at each other for a while then Liam moved as close as possible while Theo rolled on his other side. They ended spooning which was the best position for Theo’s still injured chest. Liam could wrap his arms around the chimera and press himself against Theo’s back. That way he felt the other’s warmth and knew Theo was still here. 

They settled into a comfortable spooning position, Liam’s arms wrapped around Theo and Theo still holding his hand, and they slowly drifted off. Liam concentrated on Theo’s breathing, the way he felt his heartbeat and heard the steady drum of Theo’s heart. Usually it was very calming but tonight it reminded him once more of how he almost saw the Alpha rip it out of Theo’s chest. He hid his face in the crook of Theo’s neck, trying to will down the unwanted scenes but without any luck. He bit his lip to stop himself from whimpering but he could not help himself when he started crying, drenching his cheek and Theo’s neck as well.

“Puppy!” Theo called out, voice sounding surprised and shocked, and he turned into Liam’s arms. Screw his scratches and bruises, he wanted to console his best friend. Now he hugged Liam close and let Liam cling to him, bury his face in the crook of his neck, and just cry it all out.

“I almost lost you! I can’t lose you!” Liam sobbed and Theo hugged him tighter.

“I’m here, puppy, right here. I’m not dead and you aren’t either.  We are both alive, Lee. We made it.” He stroked over Liam’s back and held him and Liam actually tried to get it together but then Theo hugged him even tighter and suddenly Liam felt tears drop on his skin too. Theo was also crying.

“I was so scared I would lose you tonight, Liam. I...I just can’t without you...” He sobbed brokenly and Liam wrapped his arms around Theo as tight as possible. “Let’s promise each other, we will be more careful from now on.” It would literally do nothing with their lifestyle but right now it would help them to hear the other say it.

“Yes. We will be more careful.” Theo immediately agreed and Liam held him. He raised his head to wipe his tears and Theo did the same. They shared a private smile, still watery, and then Theo wiped some tears Liam had missed. His hand lingered on Liam’s cheek and Liam turned his head to press a soft kiss in the palm of Theo’s hand. Theo chuckled at that and stroke through Liam’s hair before pulling him closer again. A soft kiss was pressed on Liam’s nose and then on his forehead and then they snuggled into a comfortable sleeping position without having to unwrap their arms from around each other. 

When Liam woke up the next day or rather several hours later, he was still curled up with Theo in the dark room. It was warm under the blankets and he smiled at the thought how comfy it was here in his bed. 

“I like your smile, you know?” 

Liam opened one eye and peeked at Theo who had his head propped up on one elbow and watched him with a smile. Liam chuckled and opened his other eye too.  
“How’s your chest?” He wanted to know.   
“Good. It feels better. want to check?”

Liam nodded and carefully removed the patch on Theo’s skin. Since the wounds were from an Alpha they took longer to heal but they weren’t bleeding anymore and now just angry scratches, skin slowly knitting together.   
“How’s your stomach?” Theo asked and Liam slowly sat up to pull up his shirt and remove his own patch. His skin was still scratched but it was way better than hours before. He smiled at that. The only remains on their bodies of the rough night they had. That and the freshly bitten werewolves running around.

“Do you think the newly turned wolves will come around?” Theo asked at this very moment and Liam sighed, crawling under the blankets again and pulling it higher around himself again. It was nice, laying in bed and talking to Theo about the challenges their pack was facing. 

“I sure hope so. It would our life easier if they came on their own but I’m afraid the luck won’t be on our side in that case.” He shrugged.  
“I bet it was all a bit too much for them as well. I figure the Alpha wasn’t very nice when he overpowered and bit them. Maybe they just need time to clear their heads. Sooner or later they need our help.”  
“Yeah, on the next full moon to be exact.”   
Theo nodded. 

******  
Liam was browsing the shelves in the campus library in search for a special book he needed for his next assignment. He had checked the computer, the book wasn’t checked out, so it had to be here. Going back to his classes after defeating the Alpha had felt strange in the beginning. He had looked out for the two new weres but had not caught any sign of them, just like his Betas.But it was the first day after the fight, so they still had time before the next full moon came up. 

Liam surely hoped the two would listen after they cooled down for a few days. For now, all he could do was be a normal college student and this student had just spotted the book he was looking for. He let out a triumphant sigh and reached to grab it from the shelf. 

“I looked up some things about wolves. You’re the Alpha, right? They listen to you.”

Liam spun around, the book slowly slipping from the shelf. He caught it without taking his eyes from the dark blonde guy, the scared one out of the newly turned werewolves. The newcomer shyly raised his shoulders. “Did I startle you? I’m sorry, that wasn’t my intention.”  
“It’s okay.” Liam said and then remembered the question. “I am, yes.”  
“I am...Well, where should I start? Oh, right, My name is Timothy. Uhm, you can call me Tim.”  
“Nice to meet you, Tim. For real this time.” Liam smiled.   
“You said you’re Liam, right? I think I saw you playing lacrosse once or twice.”  
“That would be me.” Liam agreed with the statement.   
“So, uhm you’re the Alpha werewolf and the others are Beta werewolves?”  
“Shh.” Liam said. They were still in the middle of the library and not everyone knew about the supernatural. Tim made a face. “I’m sorry!”  
“Nah, just be a bit careful what you say when strangers can hear you. Don’t want to risk exposing us.” He wasn’t really mad. “Do you drink coffee, Tim? And if so, can I invite you for a coffee?”  
Tim nodded. “I do drink coffee. And if you want. I would like to hear more about uhm, you know....”

******  
Liam had brought Tim to the campus café and they had grabbed a coffee each before deciding to go for a walk. Tim, Liam learned that very fast, was shy and very insecure. But he was also very interested in knowing about werewolves.  
“Tim, mind telling me what happened at the party?”  
“I went there to have a bit fun. I usually don’t go to parties very often but this one was free and I decided why not. I didn’t have other plans. I went there and it was so crowded and sticky so I soon went out to get fresh air. I heard a noise and when I turned around I saw this huge guy leaning over the other one. I think his name is Mike, I’m not sure. I don't stick around when he appears somewhere, he scares me. The guy looked at me after he was done with Mike and then ran towards me. I saw his fangs and then nothing.” He swallowed and Liam reached out to squeeze his shoulder. Tim flinched and Liam pulled his hand back. 

“I’m sorry you made this experience but let me tell you, I’m not like that. I don’t bite people against their will and I don’t hurt innocent people. I only hurt people who hurt my pack.”  
“Like the Alpha?”  
“Like the Alpha. He’s dead now, by the way. You should know that.”  
“Oh.” Tim looked down at his coffee and played with it. Liam watched him. There had to be a reason Tim came to him.   
“Tim, why did you talk to me all of sudden?”

Tim was silent for a good few minutes but then he blurted it out. “Because I was talking to my brother on the phone and he made fun of me, called me unpopular and a loser and all kind of things. I have five siblings, all older, and they all are more popular than me and prettier and more athletic. They always make fun of me but I usually ignore it. But this time I....”  
“You got angry.” Liam could relate.  
“I broke my phone just from holding it too tight. I was just so angry all of sudden.”  
“That’s your wolf. You can be the sweetest and softest person on earth, your wolf is still a wild animal and you need to tame it. That’s where we can help you. To get control over your wolf. You need to learn it or full moons will get dangerous for you and others.”

“What happens on full moons? Do we turn into real wolves?”  
Liam chuckled. “No, we don’t. Well, Theo can do a full shift but it’s rare. But we shift. Flashing eyes, claws extracting, fangs growing. We get stronger and we want to break free and it can get violent. That’s why control is so important.”  
Tim shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.” He said sadly.   
“I know, Tim. But you don’t have to hurt anyone. Just let us help you. See, two of us are still learning control on their own so you would not be the only one struggling. It’s okay to struggle and we help each other as a pack.”

Tim looked at him. “Why are you so nice to me? You don’t know me.”  
“I was like you once. I got bitten and had no idea what was going on. It seemed all like a big cosmical joke to me. Until it suddenly became serious but that’s a story for another day. The thing is, I was you years ago. I can relate what you’re going through, so let me and my pack help you.”  
Tim considered that then he nodded. “If you want to help me, I will gladly accept your help.” 

Liam beamed at him and then checked his watch. “There is a pack hangout at my place. Come on, I’ll invite you. You can meet the others too. You will like them.”

Tim followed him eagerly. He was still shy and a bit distant but Liam felt him slowly opening up. And when they stepped into the apartment, Liam was greeted happily by his pack.   
“There you are, Ever and Maya brought so much food, I’m sure we will eat until Thanksgiving from that.” Nolan told him the minute he opened the door.  
“Great, then it’s enough for yet another person.” Liam replied and Tim followed him into the apartment. The pack looked stunned for a moment, then they all got up to greet the newcomer. Ever, in her usual open way, even hugged him and he turned beet red. “You all look so gorgeous. Is this a werewolf thing?”  
“No, I was gorgeous since birth.” Sadie joked and Maya sighed in fake-annoyance. “Because you are a born werewolf, honey.”  
“Yeah, well....”Sadie huffed. “So are you. Means you were gorgeous since birth too.” She then retaliated.  
“I’m not a werewolf.” Nolan corrected amusedly. “So I don’t know if I am gorgeous.”  
“You are.” Ever said and winked at him, making Nolan laugh awkwardly and rubbed his neck while he blushed. 

******  
“Okay, so you are a bitten werewolf.” After they ate Tim had learned some things about the pack members and was now trying to recreate it. He pointed at Liam and Liam nodded.  
“You two are born werewolves.” He pointed at Maya and Sadie and both nodded.   
“You are human, you are a witch.” He pointed at Nolan first who gave him a thumbs up and then at Ever who smiled happily and nodded.  
“And you are a what again?”  
“Chimera.” Theo filled in the blank when Tim looked at him.   
“What does that entail?”  
“I am part wolf, part coyote. I was made in a laboratory.”  
“Wait, that actually can happen?”

“Not anymore. The Dread Doctors are dead.” Liam cut in. “But Theo’s the first chimera. He’s our special snowflake.” He teased his friend who looked at him.   
“Asshole!”   
Tim frowned. “You call each other’s asshole?”  
“Yeah.” Theo said nonchalantly. “Don’t you have any friends who call you that too?”  
“No.” Tim shook his head.  
“Do you have any friends at all?” Theo inquired further.  
“ _Theodore_!” Liam called out in shock but then he had to laugh.   
Tim, on the other hand, looked down and shrugged. “I had a few at home but they went to other colleges. And here, yes, I sometimes meet with a few people.”  
“How can someone as nice as you not have any friends?” Ever asked. “Aw, that was sweet, witch babe.” Maya grinned but she actually meant it very honestly. It had been sweet. 

******  
“The scratches are completely healed by now.” Theo announced while he opened the door to the bathroom. He had taken a shower while Liam played Tomb Raider in the living room. The chimera now padded into the living room to show what he was talking about. The combination of him being a chimera and an Alpha injuring him had caused his chest to be scratched for days and now it was finally healed.

Liam glanced at his friend and Lara died a very painful death on the screen when Liam made her jump from a cliff because he pressed the wrong button, too caught up with the display in front of him.

Don’t get him wrong, Liam had seen Theo shirtless countless of time. But somehow it now seemed better than ever before. Theo’s chest was completely healed and his pendant was a striking resemblance to his lightly tanned skin. Liam’s eyes wandered over the defined chest and abs and his mouth went dry. Was he supposed to talk anytime soon? Not when Theo stood in front of him with just a towel wrapped around his waist.

“That’s...uhm, that’s nice. I’m happy for you. Good thing.” he cleared his throat and then returned his attention to Miss Croft. Better than drooling because his crush was such a good-looking guy. Fuck, it was really getting harder to ignore his feelings. 

Theo now wandered into the kitchen and grabbed himself a bottle of water. “Mind getting dressed?” Liam mumbled, eyes glued to the tv screen.  
Theo chortled. “Why? Am I distracting...Percival?”  
“No. To both.”  
“Harry?”  
“Expellia-No!”  
“Ron, Ronald.”  
“Nope.”  
“Hermine?” Theo mocked.   
“It would be an honor but sadly no.”  
“Severus.”  
“Are you planning on asking all Harry Potter names? What’s next? The Hobbit? And no.”  
“James.”   
Liam shook his head. Theo groaned. “Can I get another hint? This is driving me nuts.”  
“Ah, good, then it does the trick.”

“Idiot.” Theo muttered and wandered into his room to get dressed again. When he came back he jumped on the couch next to Liam.  
“John.”  
“No.”  
“Abraham.”  
“Nope.”  
“Isaac.”  
Liam grinned and shook his head again.   
“Newton?”  
“Wasn’t there a cartoon with an amphibian named Newton? I’m not called Newton.”  
“Bummer. Liam Newton Dunbar sounds nice.”  
“I’ll tell my mom. She should do better with her next son.”  
“Jeez, when did you become so cocky?”  
“What do you mean became? I always have been cocky.”

Theo just rolled his eyes. “Speaking off becoming, the full moon is coming closer.”  
“Yeah, I know.” Liam said seriously. “We have to find Mike and talk to him.”  
“I saw him once or twice on the campus but every time he spots me, he runs away.”  
Liam sighed and paused the game to lean against the couch. “Then we have to corner him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are still with me after the cliffhanger from the last chapter? Anyway, this chapter was in my mind for so long and yet it turned out differently than I expected. How did you like the Thiam scenes? Seeing Theo almost getting killed is something Liam won't forget that easily. And how do you like Tim?


	15. The pack doesn't judge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Mike get introduced into the world of werewolves and the pack dynamic. Will they accept it or will they stay omegas?

Since Tim had come to them in his search for help, he had become a constant and Liam considered him pack. The others probably did too, they just never said it out loud. It was all so new for the freshly bitten werewolf and he gave even Mason a run for his money when it came to asking questions. One video chat with Corey and Mason had been proof of that. He asked questions nobody else ever asked (What happens if a werewolf is fully shifted and their fur gets dyed in another color? Does it change the hair color too e.g.) and Mason had been baffled and then asked why he never asked those questions. It was the call that made Liam doubt his best friend’s sanity and the call that had Liam worried Theo would die from laughing so hard. It was a good look on him, head thrown back and body shaking with laughter while he tried not to fall from the bed, and Theo looked absolutely gorgeous, but Liam was still worried the chimera forgot how to breathe. He didn’t thankfully. But he kept on teasing Tim for all those questions because truth was, Tim was strange.

Had he come off as shy and insecure the pack soon came to the realization he was that but when he was around them, he started to get more and more at ease and lost his stiffness. He had his own sense of humor and told them that he always had been considered the odd one. His siblings were all extroverted, popular and good at many sports and Tim was…not. He rather read than played ball, liked sci-fi movies and superheroes instead of football or soccer and he liked to wear a beanie and shirts with geeky prints than any classic outfits. Since he was the youngest, his mother tended to be afraid he would break, mother-henned him and when Tim realized that, he paled.  
“She would freak if she knew I was a werewolf now. Probably wrap me in bubble wrap and never let me leave her sight or she would drag me to her book club so her friends and she can help my poor soul.“  
“Is your mother a church lady?“ Theo asked.  
“No, more type soccer mom, you know? And I’m the only kid who doesn’t fit her picture-perfect suburban family. Now even less than before“  
“Suburbs, of course. Let me guess, you have a white picket fence and all?“ Sadie mumbled.  
Tim nodded. “We are the epitome of suburban family life.“

So, Tim integrated himself into the pack better than Liam even expected. His soft personality made him very nice, harmonic and good to work with, and it gave Liam an idea. When the pack gathered next time, he shared it with them.  
“Tim, you and Mike were bitten by the same Alpha. You have a pack bond, even though he is an omega currently. Maybe that way we can get him to accept help from us.“  
Tim blanched. “I don‘t know if he wants to talk to me. We never had any talk outside the stable. He dragged me out and then dropped me. He‘s scary.“  
“Scary?“ Maya said amusedly.  
“I wanted to sit with him one and he growled at me. That was even before we got bitten.“

Sadie scoffed. “I did some research about him. He’s Michael Archibald but goes by Mike. No friends, just a few of the goths or whatever they call themselves he occasionally hangs out with. He mostly sticks to himself and given the rumors it’s probably for the best. Prone to get in trouble and some even say he was sent to jail once.“  
Liam grimaced. “Don’t believe such rumors, they are nasty.“  
“But maybe they are true.“  
“At the school I attended before I came to Beacon Hills High, I trashed my coach’s car. Given the rumors about me at that time, I was also arrested and when I transferred schools they also said I had been sent to jail.“ Liam told her calmly. “You can only make your opinion when you talked to the person and heard the facts. And in this pack, we don‘t judge.“  
“I know but that guy? He loves the bad boy vibe. He‘s digging it.“  
“So is Theo and yet if you get to know him you notice he is a cinnamon roll.“

Theo had been about to pop a chili cheese nugget in his mouth and stopped mid-air. “I’ve never been more insulted than right now.“ He muttered dryly and Liam smirked and winked at him.  
“And you are the opposite or what? You look like a cinnamon roll but can actually kill someone?“ Theo sarcastically asked and Liam’s grin widened.  
“You know me.“ He replied. “And you are a cinnamon roll and one of the biggest dorks I know.“  
“Those love declarations are sickening.“ Maya muttered into her strawberry milkshake, causing Maya and Sadie to laugh hysterically. Liam just eyed the witch and she grinned and innocently blew a kiss at him. Liam rolled his eyes but smiled.

He then bit into a chicken wing. “Full moon is in a week.“ He announced and the mood turned somber. Sadie and Maya still battled their wolves and it was not easy for them, and Tim was generally afraid of his first full moon.  
“We have to talk to Mike or need a foolproofed plan B.“  
“Wasn‘t the plan to corner him? So let us find him and corner him.“ Sadie was pragmatical. “If that doesn‘t work we keep him in check during the full moon, if he wants or not.“  
“We?“ Liam parroted. “Sadie, you, Maya and Tim will be at the stable with Nolan and Isaac, all chained up because having Mike and you running around is the worst case. So it’s just Ever, Theo and me and I would rather have another plan than that.“

“Maybe you got your chance right now because look who just walked in.“ Ever said and nodded towards the entrance where indeed Mike stood. He looked at the menu and had not spotted them yet. The pack moved without further arrangements. They all got up and slowly inched closer, Liam in the front. When Mike spotted him it was already too late, Maya and Sadie yielding the doors to cut off his escape way. The new wolf growled in defense. “What do you want?“  
“We just want to talk to you. Nothing else.“ Liam said, trying to calm him.  
Mike growled again. “I have absolutely no interest in talking to you.“  
“Listen, Mike, you already noticed that you have changed. You are still here, that means the bite took and you are a werewolf, just like us. The full moon is coming up and you need to control your shift or else it will be chaotic.“  
“I am not taking part in this whole shit show! You have no idea what’s going on with me, so stay away from me! All of you. Live your life as the strange little cult you are, have full moon orgies or whatever the fuck it is that you guys do and screw you! Literally! Or each other, I couldn’t care less!“ He snarled and for a moment his eyes flashed gold. He turned around and walked over to the door Sadie was guarding. The blonde growled too and the two of them stared at each other. Liam nodded.  
“Sadie, let him go.“  
She huffed but stepped aside and he walked out. She looked at Liam, eyebrow raised. “That was successful. Not what?“  
And frankly, Liam had no idea.

******  
“We could kidnap him, similar to what Kira did with me. But we would need a distraction for that. Or we could…No, that would be way too brutal….But maybe…“ Liam was pacing in his room, lacrosse ball in his hands he absentmindedly played with while he was thinking all possibles scenarios through to get Mike to trust them enough to spend the full moon with them.

“Am I allowed to jump into this deep conversation you‘re having with yourself?“ Theo leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, and he smirked at Liam who groaned.  
“Stop smirking, I was just thinking out loud.“  
“You talked to yourself. You only do that when you can‘t solve a problem and think real hard about it because it deeply bothers you.“  
Theo was good at picking up small details, Liam had noticed that in a very early stage after Theo moved in with him. He noticed small quirks from Liam and commented on them, mostly something that embarrassed Liam to no end. Now he groaned and ran his hands over his face.  
“I’m just…“ He ran his hands through his hair and then crossed them at the back of his head, stretching himself lightly. “I don‘t know what to do.“  
Theo‘s eyes snapped up from where they had landed on the sliver of skin Liam revealed when his shirt rode up while he stretched, and he shrugged. “There isn’t much you can do. It’s either the nice way or the brutal way. If he doesn‘t go willingly we have to restrain him or he will be dead meat sooner or later.“  
Liam knew Theo was right but he really hoped they could go the soft way. “Only three days until the full moon. Time is running out.“  
“I tried talking to him today but he dodged me again. I get Sadie’s desire to punch him.“  
Liam chuckled dryly. If that was the way to go, Mike would hate them even more.  
His stomach grumbled, making it impossible for him to think clearly. “I’m craving Chinese, what about you, T?“  
“Chinese sounds good, let‘s go.“

They grabbed their jackets and soon were on their way to the Chinese place but stopped at the small supermarket at the corner to buy some things they needed. It wasn’t much and they didn’t even need a basket but when they walked to the cash register, they were caught in an argument between what supposedly was the manager of the store and Mike. The new werewolf was dressed in the same uniform as the other guy so he probably worked here and was arguing with his boss. Liam and Theo shared a look. The chemo signals coming from Mike were angry and sour. He was pissed at his boss and rage was boiling inside him. An incredibly bad feeling for a newly turned werewolf who knew nothing about control. And when Mike got into his boss’s face, snarling and claws already out, Liam interfered.

He yanked Mike back so he could get between the human and the supernatural. “Mike, stop!“ He said, eyes glowing red. Mike’s own eyes were flashing gold and he hissed but his instincts told him not to mess with the Alpha. He moved away slightly and Theo used the chance to grab him by the arm and yank him outside. Liam followed. Their errands were long forgotten at the register.

Outside Theo had dragged Mike into the alley next to the market. “Calm down!“ He snarled at the struggling wolf. Mike growled at him and Liam cleared his throat.  
“Enough!“ He told both Betas firmly and they actually listened. Theo let Mike go and he leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest in a defensive stance. Liam used his chance to speak again. “Mike, I know you don‘t like us and it’s completely fine. You don‘t have to. But that in there? That was your wolf. It‘s harder to not lash out when somebody pisses you off now. I know the struggle. And that‘s why you need our help. You won’t be able to learn control on your own. So, I’m pleading you again, let us help you.“  
Mike grimaced unwillingly. “I don’t need your or anyone’s help. My boss is an asshole anyway. He deserves someone punching him in his stupid face! I am not like you freaks!“

Liam sighed and wanted to say something but Theo put a hand on his shoulder. “Let me.“ He asked and Liam looked at him and nodded before stepping back. Theo stepped forward and addressed Mike.  
“I know you don’t want help. You think you’re independent and don’t need anyone and believe me, I was like that too once. This can only work until a certain point, trust me. Been there, done that. I watched you. You are a very logical person and you like working with computers, right? So let‘s watch this from a logical point of view, shall we? You know something has changed in your body. You have seen your eyes flash, you probably saw your fangs and you feel the rush and back in there? You were pissed off but you didn‘t mean to explode like that, right? If we had not been there, what would have happened? Would your boss be dead now?“   
Mike stayed silent and Theo continued. “Look, I know you are not a bad person. You took Tim with you on the first night, even if you didn’t know him. You cared about a stranger, so I know you’re not as bad and as independent as you want us to believe.“ He watched Mike closely. “Caring and trusting people is scary, I know. But if you think that inside was bad, then wait three more days when the full moon comes out. It will be worse and you will either hurt yourself or others. Is that what you want?“  
And for the first time Mike answered. Not with words but he shook his head, yet kept his arms crossed and his whole body still in a defensive state.  
“Look, let’s make a deal. You don“t have to be part of our pack but let us help you with your control. You come to us, we teach you how to control your wolf and that‘s it. If you learned control, you can walk away again. Do it for yourself. Is that a fair deal?“ He looked over his shoulder to Liam who nodded.

Mike looked skeptical. “What do you get out of this deal?“  
“The affirmation that you’re not killing anybody.“ Liam chimed in and this time it was Theo who nodded. Mike seemed to think over his options and then he sighed gravely.  
“Where do we meet?“ He asked, his voice still quite snarky and passive-aggressive. Liam still took it as a good sign and told Mike it was the same stable he had woken up back then and when they would be there. Mike nodded curtly and then left, leaving Theo and Liam behind.

Liam smiled gratefully and nudged Theo’s shoulder. “Thanks. I think you really convinced him.“  
Theo shrugged and put his hands in the pocket of his jeans. “I just told him the truth. He reminds me of myself after I came back from hell. Alone and without any ties, you know? I told myself I don’t need anybody too but truth was, I was lonely.“ He grinned. “Until a certain puppy showed up at my truck.“  
Liam rolled his eyes but smiled. “I just hope Mike makes the same experience you did. That a pack is better than being alone.“  
“Depends on the pack. You know I never felt included in the McCall pack and that was my own fault. But our pack now? You’re my family.“  
“Aw, you can be so soft! That’s why you’re a cinnamon roll in those situations.“  
Theo sighed and rolled his eyes, rubbing his forehead. “Why do I even bother with you?“  
“Because you love me!“ Liam cheerfully declared. Theo looked up and gave him a strange look. Liam had no idea what to make out of this and he usually could read Theo very easily. But then the chimera turned around and walked out of the alley. “Come on, puppy, I’m starving!“ He called over his shoulder. Liam frowned but the hurried up to catch up with him.

******  
The full moon was here and the pack met at the stable. Sadie and Maya looked tense like they always did, Tim looked downright terrified, and Mike was missing. “He promised he would show up.“ Liam said and checked his watch. Mike stepped into the table in this moment, hands in his hoodie.  
“I’m here. And now what?“ He eyed Nolan and Ever who were currently chaining up Maya and Sadie and he took a step back. “No way! I’m not some dog you can chain to a wall!“  
“Right. You’re not a dog, you’re a wolf. And you will need those.“ Theo told him. “So come on, no need to prolong this even further.“

Mike still looked suspiciously and as if he wanted to run but he stepped next to Tim. Tim smiled shyly. “Hey.“  
“Don‘t“ Mike cut him off immediately. “I’m just here so I don’t turn into a killer, I’m not here for any fake friends or whatever it is that you call yourself. So just let’s sit here next to each other and survive this madness.“  
“Wow, you know how to make small talk, huh?“ Sadie snapped sarcastically from Tim‘s other side.  
“Listen, Victoria Secret, I didn’t want this happen to me! I didn‘t ask for it, I didn’t beg for it, I just wanted to get fresh air when that psychopath jumped me. And I am here to not make this worse than it already is. I’m a werewolf now, a freaking werewolf. They were never my favorite supernatural beings and they aren’t my favorite now. So just let me live in peace and do us all a favor and keep your mouth shut!“  
“ _Victoria Secret_ can kick your ass if you insist! You can‘t talk like that!“  
Mike just scoffed and didn‘t reply anymore. His face stayed stoic when he was chained up and he only broke when they sat down and waited.

„Okay, now what? Do we light a candle and talk about our deepest feelings?“  
„No, we sing campfire songs and braid each other’s hair.“ Theo replied without looking up from his phone. Liam tried but failed to hide his laugh at that. Theo grinned when he heard Liam laughing.

Mike rolled his eyes. “Good that you can laugh while we are chained up like animals.”

“We turn into animals!” Maya growled. “What part of shifting didn’t you get? Just wait a few more minutes and...” She cut herself off and groaned. It was starting. She whimpered and lowered her head. The others started to get restless too and they pulled at the chains. Nolan, Ever, Liam and Theo settled a few feet away and watched them. Liam really wished he could do more but he was in the best distance right now. They could not get to them and he could still talk to them.

“I know it’s terrifying what you feel right now and so overwhelming but you need to fight against it. Your urges tell you to scratch and bite right now but you can be stronger than that. Just focus, okay? All of you, focus on staying human.”

The wolves moved more and got more restless by the minute. And then Mike threw his head back and howled while his eyes glowed gold. Next was Sadie who also howled and then Maya. Tim seemed to not allow himself to howl, which surprised Liam a tad. He had thought the softest of them all would have the biggest problems with fighting with the wild animals inside him. But even if Tim was relatively calm in the beginning, he soon pulled at the chains too, snarling and snapping, making grabby hands at the unchained members of the pack. 

“You need to find your anchor! Whatever it is, focus on the thing that keeps you human. It can be a person, a memory, a feeling, everything is good as long as it anchors you to humanity. Try it! Search for it and when you have it, focus on it!” Liam coached his Betas but he saw them struggling and he knew tonight wouldn’t be the night they found their anchors and gained control. He still didn’t stop coaching them through the whole night. It’s what an Alpha does. 

When morning finally came and the moon disappeared, the wolves slumped on the ground, all breathless, sweaty and exhausted. Mike leaned against the wall and panted.  
“You didn’t say it would be that freaking hard!” He complained when Theo unchained him. The chimera shrugged.   
“Would you have believed us?”   
Mike shook his head. “See?” Theo said. “That’s why we wanted to have you here and watch over you.”

Mike rubbed his wrist when the chains were gone. “So now what?” He inquired and watched the others regenerating from the night. Liam stowed the chains away. “Now that you know what happens during a full moon, we have to find your anchor. That will take some time but that was part of the deal.”

“What’s your anchor?” Mike asked. Liam scratched his cheek. “First it was my first girlfriend Hayden. Then Hayden moved and I temporarily lost my anchor. Then, due to various circumstances, it was fear - not a very good anchor by the way - but it soon turned into an annoying know-all chimera who constantly followed me around and made sure I don’t kill people.” He grinned at Theo who scoffed. “Should be more grateful!”  
“Yeah, yeah. Well, after the war I realized how deep my connection to Theo ran and how good he was at keeping me at bay. Not gonna lie, having a person as your anchor is easier because they can talk to you and ground you. If you focus on a feeling or a memory, it’s all you and more difficult but still manageable.”  
“Didn’t feel manageable last night.” Tim chimed in and rubbed some pressure marks on his wrists to get the blood circulating better again.  
“Nobody said it would be a walk in the park. But like Liam said, you can manage it. Because one thing I already learned about all four of you: You are stubborn.” Theo said.  

“And that is your plan? Chaining us up every full moon and hope that one day we will find our anchors?” Mike frowned.   
“Course not. You need to learn about werewolves and the supernatural.” Liam said. “So now we start werewolf 101. But first, go home and sleep.”

******  
Werewolf 101 started a day after the full moon and it started with all of them huddling around the living room in Theo’s and Liam’s apartment. Ever was the last one and carried a bag inside the apartment. She said it down and puffed out a breath. 

“What’s in the bag?” Tim asked curiously and the witch opened it and sat a jar with black ash inside on the table. A jar with violet flowers was placed next to it and then followed a twig of mistletoe. Sadie and Maya grimaced and leaned back. Ever held up the mistletoe. “A little herbal guide to show you guys what is dangerous for you. Mistletoe, as you can see here, is as poisonous for werewolves as it is for humans. Stay away from it.” She put the twig away and opened the first jar.

“This is Mountain Ash. If placed on the ground it forms an insuperable barrier for all supernaturals. You can’t cross it, so this is a very good idea if you want to trap a supernatural. Strew it over the threshold of a room or a house and the supernatural is locked inside.” She put some of the ash on her hand. “I’m a witch, so I can touch it.” She explained when she saw Tim and Mike frown.   
“Theo can touch and cross it too since he is a chimera. A chimera was made and doesn't count as a real supernatural creature, hence why Mountain Ash doesn’t affect them.” Liam added to Ever’s explanation. Mike reached out to take some of the ash on his hand and hissed when it burned his skin.  
“Don’t touch it!” Liam warned again. “This is serious, guy. You have no idea how small a room can become when you can’t leave it. Buildings can be made out of Mountain Ash also. If you are inside such a building, you will feel sedated and get weaker by the minute. So be careful, okay?”

Ever put the ash back in the jar and dusted her hands off. Then she raised the jar with the flowers. “Wolfsbane.”

“This is probably the most dangerous thing for us.” Liam said pointedly. “Wolfsbane exists in yellow wolfsbane and purple wolfsbane, as far as I know, and the yellow wolfsbane can even kill an Alpha. Hunters use it in all kinds of variations. Petals, powder, liquid, whatever you can think of. It’s absolutely lethal to us and even affects the chimeras.”  
“I suffered from wolfsbane poisoning a few weeks ago. I was sick for six days and they weren’t sure if I survived at all. I know nothing from these six days, so this is really serious.” Theo told Mike and Tim and both nodded. Even Mike seemed eager to learn about this and now groaned.    
“There is so much that can harm us.And you said hunters. I know Nolan here is also a hunter as well as this Chris Argent guy but I guess there are other hunters out there as well.”

“A lot.” Liam said in a low voice. “How should I put this? There are hunters who do nothing else than hunt supernaturals. Because they think we are abnormalities and need to be vanquished. Then there are hunters like Argent who follow a code and only hunt the ones who kill people and hurt innocents. The thing is, everyone can become a hunter and Nolan, Theo and I witnessed first-handed what happens when normal people get recruited by hunters. And suddenly your friends, teachers, even family members turn into your enemies.”  
“Seriously?” Tim asked and all three mentioned young men nodded.  
“It wasn’t good.” Theo simply described it.  
“Yeah.” Nolan said and gulped.

“That’s why it is so important to not expose us, okay?” Liam reminded his pack. “Whatever you do, never shift in front of people unless you have no other choice and I really wish that you always have a choice. Nothing is worse than stepping into school and everybody staring at you as if you are a monster simply because they saw you wolf out. I made this experience, I don't need my Betas to do it too.”

“Maybe that’s the point where I should mention how insanely brave and strong Liam was in that moment. He got beat up and despite his eyes flashing a few times he didn’t shift and let us beat him up. In hindsight, that was probably the first time he acted like a real Alpha without being one.” Nolan praised Liam and he shrugged embarrassedly. “I did what I had to do.”

Ever raised both eyebrows. “Did you say let us beat him up?” She questioned and Nolan shrunk in his seat. “I was manipulated and really thought he deserved it!” He defended himself. “I know how wrong it was and Liam forgave me.”  
“I did indeed.”  
“And Theo threatened to rip my spine out and beat me to death with it if I ever do something like this again.”  
“I threatened you to rip your spine out and strangle you with it if I remember correctly.” Theo mumbled with a thoughtful look on his face.  
“Oh yeah. Right.” Nolan drawled. Theo grinned smugly and Liam rolled his eyes at his friends’ antics. “Always so protective.” He mumbled. 

“Always for you, puppy.”  
Mike laughed. “He calls you puppy? Really?”  
“Sometimes.” Liam chuckled. “Theo is good at assigning nicknames, you will find that out when you’re longer around him.”  
Mike scrunched his nose. “I’m not a fan of nicknames. Friends call me Mikey but that’s about it.”  
“So nobody calls you that?” Sadie asked in a sweet voice and Maya jammed her elbow into her side.   
Mike just glared at her. “Don’t try to be funny, princess, that’s not your strong suit.”  
“You have no idea what my strong suits are.”  
“Can’t wait to find out. This will be fun.”

******  
"But what if a wolf gets their fur cut and then shifts back. Would their hair be cut too?”  
“Seriously, Timmy, what are you smoking that you think of these questions?” Maya asked with a laugh. The pack plus Mike hung out at the skate park. Mike had rolled his eyes when they met at the park but somehow ended up trailing behind them. He claimed not wanting to get associated with the pack but Liam figured the other must be as lonely as Theo said he would be and subconsciously searched the pack out. Theo had done the same in the beginning, so he didn’t pressure Mike or made any comments regarding this. He just accepted it and was happy when Mike showed up. 

The young Alpha looked away from his pack and over to the ramps where Theo was currently skating. Liam smiled as he watched his friend spin his board, do jumps and some other tricks. Theo loved skating and Liam loved watching him, seeing the happy look on Theo’s face and enjoy the fact how good his anchor looked in his dark red shirt and the black jeans. 

Liam gasped when Theo missed a jump and fell from the halfpipe and hit the concrete. “Ouch, that hurt.” Maya mumbled and then continued to eat her popcorn she had brought along. Liam sighed and got up to walk over. 

“Did you break something?” He inquired and kneeled next to Theo. The chimera held his leg and looked unhappy at his scraped up knee. “I always botch this trick!” He complained and glared at the halfpipe. 

Liam took Theo’s arm and black veins sneaked up his own arm. “Whoa, what are you doing?” Tim asked from behind.   
“I’m taking his pain. All werewolves can do that with some exercise. You just need to really care about taking another person’s pain. To be fair, the pain transfers in your body so please be warned.” Liam explained and looked up. Mike watched them also quite surprised. “I didn’t expect us to be able to do something.” He confessed after a while. “So we all can do it?”  
“It’s not easy.” Theo told them. “I struggled with it too so don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work in the beginning. It’s tricky.”

“Yeah but the simple possibilities that we can do something like this is just great, okay?” Mike smiled for probably the first time since Liam met him and it made the Alpha smile slightly too. Despite his rough behavior, the other cared and was a kind person. Another thing he and Theo had in common. They both shared a lot in general and since Theo found out Mike like working with his hands too, they both could be found in deep conversations about cars or mechanics or whatever. Liam had no real idea because that was so not his topic but he counted it as a good way to integrate Mike into the pack. And that’s what would be the perfect outcome of this deal.

They still had a long way to go, Mike was more stubborn than Sadie in the beginning and for every time Liam thought they made progress were at least two events or remarks that threw them back again. Liam didn’t like it but just like Theo, Mike didn‘t go well with being pressured into the pack. He liked to roam around alone for several days, none of the pack seeing him or if they saw him they just got a curt nod, but then he came back for the full moon or joined them when they hung out.

He even agreed to teach Tim how to play basketball when he mentioned playing. It ended with Tim staggering over the field and falling more often or getting hit by the ball than not; which proofed that just because you got turned into a werewolf, you didn’t gain any athleticism. Liam felt bad for laughing but Tim had looked like a young deer learning how to walk.

It was a weird combination but Liam figured if that led to somewhere at least, he would accept that.  
If Mike was there, it was good; if stayed away it was also okay. And Mike wasn’t the only one he needed to worry about and keep an eye on as it seemed. It was Sadie who alerted him to another problem. And as usual, she did it in her Sadie way.

Liam had finished a workout in the campus gym and had just exited the shower, towel slung around his waist when the blonde Beta barged into the room. “I need to talk to you!“  
Liam blinked at her and then looked left and right. Thankfully they were alone. “Sadie, boys‘ locker room!“ He reminded her with a squeak and she simply waved him off.  
“There is nothing I haven’t already seen.“ Her eyes raked over Liam‘s half-naked and still wet form. “I mean not from you personally but you get the gist. Don‘t be shy, you have nothing to be ashamed off, I’m sure.“  
Liam narrowed his eyes and his hands twitched to cover his junk area even though he was still wearing a towel.  
“I need to talk to you, Liam!“  
“Not when I’m just wearing a towel!“  
“Oh, come on. Even if I look, nothing will fall off, no need to be worried.“  
“Turn around! I’m not getting dressed in front of you!“

She huffed and Liam made a circular motion with his finger and finally, she spun around and played with her hair. Liam shuffled around and dried himself off when he was sure she stayed with her back turned to him.  
“So, can I talk now?“  
“I’m all ears.”  
“It’s hard to know when I can’t look at your face.“  
“I’m listening.“ Liam said and grabbed his boxers.  
“Really?“ Sadie slowly turned and Liam hissed. “Stay put!“

She sighed but then stayed turned around. “What would you do if you think you witnessed something bad happening to one of your packmates?“  
Liam had slipped into his boxers and put the towel aside to grab his socks. “You think you witnessed something? How is that possible?“  
“Well, I happened to see something and I’m not exactly sure what I saw but it wasn’t something good.“  
“I don‘t understand a thing.“ Liam put his jeans on. “You can turn around now.“

Sadie spun around again, blonde hair flying around her shoulder while she did so. She grinned when she saw his still naked upper body and Liam rolled his eyes. “Sadie, what did you see?“  
“Did you notice Tim has a lot of homework and essays?“  
“Yeah. Some people do it for extra credit. Not everybody is a freaking genius, my fashionable Beta.“  
Because Sadie could measure with Lydia when it came to fashion but also IQ. Both were a genius and solved equations faster than any other person Liam knew.

“Tim is almost as good as I am in academics. Those are not works for extra credits. And today I witnessed Tim and some other guys, I think they are from one of the frats around, and Tim handed one of them several neatly written papers. The guy told him he expected good homework.“  
Liam blinked, trying to piece this together. “Hold on. You’re saying Tim does the assignments for other students? Well, probably not the best way to learn something but if Tim is willing to do the extra work for some extra money, that’s his thing.“  
“That’s the thing, Liam, he didn’t get any money for it. The guy just said he expected good work, Tim said he tried his best and even made some mistakes to not make the teacher suspicious. The guys said if he kept that up they would consider inviting him to one of their parties and left.“ Sadie shook her head. “Liam, we all know Tim doesn’t have any friends. Could you imagine being so desperate that you do other’s assignments in exchange for some social life?“  
“Sadie, what you’re saying are strong accusations.“  
“That‘s why I wanted to know what you would do? You‘re our Alpha/big brother, I didn’t know who else to ask.“

Liam sighed. She was right and what she told him sounded serious. He had wondered why Tim looked so tired sometimes and why he was putting up so much work. Sadie’s explanation sounded logical. “I’m not sure he would confess if we directly ask him about it.“  
“Maybe we don’t have to. One of the guys reminded Tim he still needs something too and Tim promised him to finish it until tonight. I know where they want to exchange.“  
“I’m impressed. You‘re giving Sherlock a run for his money.“  
“Nah, I’m just good at eavesdropping.“  
Liam pulled his shirt over his head. “Okay, then we will meet tonight and find out what this is all about.“

******  
“I feel like a spy in one of those old movies.“ Ever mumbled happily while she and the rest of the pack (minus Mike) waited in an alley for Tim to show up. They had arrived earlier and moved there to a corner that gave them the possibility to see what was going on at the meeting point Tim had set up with the other guy.  
“Really? I feel like a hooker hanging out here.“ Theo replied to that.  
“And then we have this negative asshole.“ Ever replied, making Sadie and Maya chuckle.  
Theo grinned. “What? You rather meet a hooker in dark alleys like this than a spy.“  
“Are you talking from experience?“ Maya curiously asked.  
Theo grinned. “What do you think?“  
“What was your daily rate?“ She joked.  
“50 Bucks for a bj.“ Theo continued the joke.  
“That’s cheap, even for a hooker. You obviously weren’t very good then.“ Liam said thoughtfully and Ever tried to cover her giggle with a sneeze but failed miserably. When she looked at Theo’s stunned face, her shoulders started shaking and she clasped her hands in front of her mouth, just like Nolan, Sadie, and Maya. Liam grinned at his Betas and at Theo who still stared at him, speechless for once. Another rare occasion where Liam managed to render him just that.

Mike suddenly appeared in the alley and stopped walking when he saw the pack there. He grimaced. “What the hell are you doing here? Seriously, you guys are everywhere, it’s exhausting.“  
“We‘re here for a reason.“ Liam explained and then his head snapped around when Tim appeared from the other side. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “Why are you here?“ He asked nervously.  
“Because we’re worried about you.“ Nolan explained. “Sadie saw something earlier and we’re here to investigate.“ Over time Tim and Nolan had also gotten closer, they both shared a similar character with being quiet and harmonic and slightly awkward and Nolan loved Tim’s jokes and vice versa. It was maybe for the best he made the first approach. Tim still looked unsure.  
“Why were you worried? Nothing’s wrong.“  
“Are you writing assignments for other guys in exchange for them inviting you to parties?“ Maya Duncan, straightforward as always, ladies and gentlemen.  
Mike stared at Tim. “You’re doing what?“  
Tim’s eyed grew wide as saucers and he struggled to come up with a good answer. He didn’t have to in the end because now the other guys showed up.

“Oh wow, what is this, happy hour?“ He joked. Liam recognized him as Marc, a guy from his classes.  
“We’re Tim’s friends, we’re not here to use him for his brains.“ Sadie was protective of her friends. Sometimes that means jumping right in and start snapping. Liam sighed internally when the guy puffed his chest.  
“Are you implying something, babe?“  
“Other than that you are a lazy being? Not at all. And I’m not your babe!“  
“You must be a lesbian then, every girl wants to be my babe.“ Liam and Theo synchronically rolled their eyes at this statement and Sadie smiled sweetly.  
“Yep.“ She said and popped the ‚p‘ and then pointed at Maya and Ever. “Those two are my girlfriends and you may try and sound like you’re insulting me but don‘t lie you would like to see that in action. But we don’t play with uneducated boys like you. And now run home to your momma and let her teach you some manners.“

Marc looked put off and huffed, then he extended his hand towards Tim. “Hand it over!“ He demanded and Tim pulled some neatly folded papers out of his bag.  
“So Sadie was right?“ Liam asked him with a frown and Tim shrugged helplessly before nodding. Nolan put a hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezed.  
“Don’t judge him, it’s the only way he gets some sort of social contact. He is such an awkward and weird guy should be lucky we’re greeting him every now and then.“ Marc sneered and Liam turned around.  
“Excuse me? Mind repeating that?“  
Marc rolled his eyes. “I don‘t like you in class, Dunbar, and I don’t like you after class either. So just shut your mouth before I make you.“ His friends howled in delight and Liam pressed his lips shut while his eyebrow twitched angrily.

“Using someone for his brains and leading him on is possible one of the meanest things I ever heard of. Sadie’s right, you guys need someone to teach you manners.“ He spat and Marc glared at him before stepping forward. He and Liam stood inches apart and had an angry stare off. Marc’s friends puffed up behind him, trying to look as intimidating as possible.  
“Okay, great, we established that you guys are just brainless gorillas who are not even pretty, but can we stop this archaic behavior?“ Theo asked and pulled him back by his shirt. He kept his grip to stop Liam from jumping the arrogant assholes.  
“Did you just call us brainless gorillas?“  
“Oh look, they are also heard of hearing.“ This time it was Mike mocking the guys. He had a problem with people using other people.

Liam could not recap who really made the first move, later on, he just knew that suddenly the two groups clashed and you had the wildest wrangling. And it only ended when blue lights appeared and a siren blared.  
“Well, fuck.“ Theo said when he glanced at the police cruiser.

******  
“That’s not exactly how I imagined my night to go.“ The chimera muttered dryly and stared at the bars in front of him. He was just so done with the whole situation and now turned around to his other friends sitting in the same jail cell as him.  
“Really? I thought a cell was your favorite place to hang out.“ Mike mumbled and Theo raised both eyebrows.  
“You serious? You want to sass me right now?“ He questioned. Mike shook his head. “No. Just saying.“  
“I’m here because the whole pack got arrested. The question is why are you here?“  
“Because I was part of the wrangling.“ Mike explained and shrugged.  
“Yeah, why were you by the way?“ Nolan wanted to know. “I mean, not that I’m not happy for the help, but you could have walked away. Why did you stay and decided to help us?“

Mike looked taken aback by this question and quite helpless while he was searching for an answer. He finally shrugged his shoulders in a helpless gesture. “Because you guys are nuts. Complete and total nuts. Starting with him over there.“ He pointed at Liam who leaned against the wall and now tilted his head. “He is willing to help strangers, even if said strangers claim to not need help, and he’s just so open and he’s trying and all. And then you have you others who are just as nuts in your own way. Sadie with her fashion sense and her sarcasm, Tim with his silly questions, Ever with her love for nature, Maya with her activism and Nolan with his awkwardness, Theo with his sarcasm and his protectiveness regarding Liam. And I…“ He stopped and stayed silent for a while and then he sighed. “I like you guys. I never had any real friends and suddenly you are there and you care about me and whenever I am around you, you always include me, even though I said I didn’t want to be included. You just don‘t care about that and yet you never make me feel like I owe you something. It’s really hard not to like you, guys. Because you are just as nuts as I am. I just had to help you.“  
Liam and Theo shared a look and then they both smirked.

“You know what that means, right?“ Theo asked the younger with a grin.  
Mike made a funny face. “I guess I'm part of the pack I claimed not wanting to be a part of?“ He then stated, still a bit unsure what the answer would be.  
“You are so part of the pack.“ Liam confirmed with a grin.  
“Is it bad I kind of expected a bigger celebration when Mike finally joins us?“ Maya asked from where she sat on the bench in the cell.  
“Sorry, I left my glitter in my other bag. Otherwise, I would have already thrown it in the air and yelled HEUREKA!“ Ever replied.  
“Glitter doesn’t match with Mike’s outfit.“ Sadie mumbled and it was silent for a moment, then they all started laughing. It was just so silly and they were still sitting in a cell at the police station but they were together, nobody was seriously hurt and it was just their luck to have been arrested.

It took a while until they stopped laughing. Liam pushed himself off the wall and squeezed Mike’s arm. “Welcome to the pack. Seriously.“  
Sometimes you didn’t need any big reveal or a big event for something like that. Nobody had to almost die for Mike to come around and accept them as his friends and packmates. It had been something that set into motion weeks ago when he spent the first full moon with them. Weeks of him not feeling pressured and seeking the pack out by himself finally paid off. And now here they were and he had finally accepted the pack. Liam could only look at his pack and smile. There was nothing that pride and joy when he looked at all of them. They weren‘t perfect by far but they helped each other get better and better and that was something truly amazing.

“My mom will kill me if she ever finds out I have been arrested. Me being a werewolf she could handle, but me being arrested? Nooo.“ Tim said suddenly and thus they all started laughing again. It was almost hysterical because this situation was just so absurd.  
“You‘re laughing so I guess I can skip the question if you are sorry about what you did, huh?“ Isaac stood in front of the cell, arms crossed, and smirked. The police officer next to him looked like he was deeply distressed by the loud laughter while he unlocked the cell.  
“Isaac!“ Liam called out happily and the older nodded in the direction of the exit. “Come on, I bailed you all out. You all owe me money now.“ He joked and the pack eagerly got to their feet to leave the cell.  
“So, your pack and Mike, what exactly did you do?“ Isaac asked Liam and the young Alpha grinned.  
“It’s just the pack now.“ He corrected and Isaac looked over at Mike.  
“Oh.“ He said and then smiled while clasping Mike on the back.”Congratulations.“  
“Thanks.“ Mike said with a small smile while they exited the police station.  
Outside Liam looked at his pack and then shrugged. “We got into a little wrangling with some dumb jerks. Nothing major.“  
“Uh uh.“ Isaac looked more amused than anything else.  
“Thanks for bailing us out, man.“ Theo said, one arm slung around Liam‘s shoulder. Liam nodded in confirmation.  
“Don’t mention it. I was laughing for solid five minutes after Nolan called. That made my day. And you saved me from a boring project.“

“That brings me to another thing.“ Liam suddenly remembered and turned to face Tim. “Tim, what the hell, man?“  
Tim jumped when his Alpha addressed him like that so suddenly and blinked at Liam. “What?“  
“Why are you doing assignments and homework for other people?“  
Tim looked on his shoes and kicked the dirt. “I thought if I helped them, they would start to like me and I could hang out with them. Then I would be more popular and not such a loser. I would have friends.“  
“Those aren’t friends. Friends don’t use you. **Those** are friends!“ Mike pointed at the pack when he spoke the last sentence. Tim gave him a shy look. “And you?“ He inquired and Mike sighed softly.  
“Yeah, me too.“ He said with a soft smile.  
Liam smiled. “Mike’s right, Timmy. Those guys just use you but we are your friends. You don‘t have to do something for us just so we like you. Just be yourself, that’s enough.“  
Tim nodded with a small smile. “It’s strange. Going from being a loner and the odd one to having a full pack of friends. I like it but it‘s still strange.“  
“You get used to it.“ Liam promised him. “Because you can’t get rid of us now.“ He said with a laugh, the others joining him soon. Theo squeezed his shoulder and pulled him closer and Liam leaned his head against Theo’s shoulder. Laughing with their pack made him and his wolf so happy. That was exactly how it should be. It wasn’t completely perfect but right now, at this very moment, it felt like this. They could do anything together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theo and Mike indeed share some similarities, do you agree? Maybe Theo now has someone to tutor a bit, I think it would do him good too.  
> And yes, Thiam's feeling get stronger and stronger...  
> Sadie and boundaries :D  
> When you're writing and you're giving yourself an AU idea. Theo as hooker...  
> Almost every time I want to write Tim, I'm writing Thiam^^  
> But yay, Tim and Mike are in the house, they are pack, they are ready to kick ass!!  
> What do you say, guys? Like it? Missed something? Want something to happen next chapter? Tell me!


	16. Milestones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack reaches some very important milestones. How will this affect them all and what comes with those milestones?

“How did your parents react when you told him you’re a werewolf, Liam?“  
“My parents don‘t know I’m a werewolf.“  
Liam had answered Tim’s question without even looking up from what he was currently writing and only when nothing else came, just stunned silence, he looked. All his Betas were staring at him with shocked faces. Except for Theo who looked as surprised by the others‘ reaction as Liam was.

“I never bothered to ask because I thought you had told them. You always say how much you love your parents and how awesome they are.“ Maya confessed.  
Liam shrugged. “My parents are awesome. But at first, I was afraid they would think I’m a monster and then I was too afraid something would happen to them if I came clean. And now I’m an Alpha and have my own pack and my parents still don‘t know about me being a werewolf.“ Liam shrugged again. “Maybe one day I can tell them in the right moment to soften the blow. It wouldn’t be just me who came clean, it would also be Theo, their adopted son.“  
“Your parents, unfortunately, didn‘t adopt me.“  
“Yeah, unfortunately…“ Liam trailed off. Theo as his brother would have been awful. Because he wasn‘t sure you were supposed to lust after your adopted brother in a way Liam did. Just having Theo as a roommate was something his poor little heart couldn’t take on some days because it meant a lot of sleepy Theo. Or shirtless Theo. Or Theo who was moaning in his sleep ( the enhanced hearing was a bitch!). Of course, he wanted Theo to belong to a family, his family preferably, but more as a husband than as a brother. Was that wrong?

Tim gently nudged Liam. “You okay?“ He asked quietly. Looks like he noticed the Alpha going quiet and lost in his thoughts. Liam tried a brave smile and nodded. “Yeah.“  
His feelings were just getting a bit harder to ignore with every day. Sometimes even smelling Theo‘s aftershave drove him nuts because it made his heart run a marathon. He prayed to every deity that Theo never noticed it.

Now he smiled at Tim who returned the soft smile warmly and then leaned over to whisper something to Mike who typed on his laptop. The pack was studying in the library, completely normal, completely boring. Even supernaturals needed that once in a while. While Liam watched Tim and Mike, he smiled. Who had thought that those two could actually become best friends? But since Mike fully joined the pack, they had become a package deal. No Mike without Tim, no Tim without Mike. Maybe because both never had any real friends or whatever but Liam knew they were good for each other.

“Seriously, can a building be uglier than that?“ Sadie had ditched her books for some gossip magazines and was reading about the new headquarter of a company in San Francisco. She now raised the magazine so everyone could see the picture of something that looked like a cross between a sail and a globe. It looked hideous.  
Mike had shortly glanced up and then resumed to typing. “That’s my parents‘ company.“ He said nonchalantly and Sadie slammed her magazine on the table.  
“YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE ARCHIBALDS?????“  
“Shhh!“ Several people around them shushed her and she ducked. “You’re one of those Archibalds?“ She hissed again and poked the magazine. Mike looked at her and shrugged.  
“Why is this such a big deal?“ Ever inquired curiously.  
“Because his parents run one o the most successful companies in this country. That means our fellow pack member here is filthy rich.“  
“My parents are filthy rich.“ Mike corrected automatically and continued his typing. “And that's it. They have this big company that works internationally and all that jazz, uh great.“ His voice sounded bitter.  
“Your parents are literal geniuses at their field of work.“  
“Uh uh, great.“ Mike said sarcastically. He looked up again. “Let me tell you something about the workaholics calling themselves my parents: I was raised by nannies and butlers and I’m pretty sure my mom was working until she was going into labor and her assistant told her she really needed to have this appointment. She pressed me out and immediately went back to an important call with China or Italy or whatever. All my birthdays I only got gifts because my parents‘ assistants thought of me and sent me something, along with a card my parents had just signed. And when I was too old for a nanny, I got enough money so I could do whatever I wanted and they could work while I was doing whatever I wanted to. My parents may be business geniuses but as parents or people in general they suck and I would rather not be associated with them. Because every talk I have with them makes me want to rip my hair out.“  
“I’m sorry.“ Sadie said. “I wasn‘t aware that they even had a child which now makes perfect sense. Sorry you had to grow up like that, Mikey.“  
Mike shrugged. “Yeah, it sucked but I got used to it.“  
“That’s why you’re working and all. You don’t want to live off their money.“ Theo understood and Mike nodded. “Yep.“  
“But isn’t there anything you can do with the money they gave you? I mean, it’s yours, right? Maybe for a good cause or something.“ Maya, the activist, always thought of something like that. Mike made a thoughtful face and hummed.  
“I actually never thought about that.“ He confessed. “But it’s a good idea. Thank you, Maya.“

******  
Liam knew his body temperature ran higher than for an average person and yet he could not help but shiver when he and Theo walked down the streets. “Mike couldn’t have chosen a warmer day for making us meet up god knows where to show us his surprise, right?“ He asked and formed a trigger with his hands to breath into it and warm his cold fingers.  
Theo next to him grumbled. He hated the cold and the rough breeze currently going on. Fuck Autumn! He had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket and was generally grumpy since they stepped outside. “Any idea what he would want to show us?“  
Liam shook his head. “Not the slightest. I hope it involves some hot drinks.“

They continued walking and then reached the designated address. Mike had called them into a nicer part of the town where all houses were nicely built townhouses in a neat neighborhood. Some looked very modern, some looked cozy but they all looked quite expensive and Liam felt somewhat out of place. The rest of the pack was huddled in front of a white house with an elegant mahogany entrance door and a red doorbell. When Liam saw his pack, especially Sadie with big white fluffy ear muffs, he chuckled.  
“What? They are warm. I may be a werewolf but I hate cold ears.“ She simply told him when she heard the sound. Liam nodded and chuckled again. “You look funny.“  
“I look warm.“ Sadie replied. “And fabulous.“  
“And your ear muffs match your scarf. And your sweater. And your thighs.“ Ever listed. She was rubbing her hands together and small sparks light up until she finally managed to create a small flame in her hand and grinned. The little flame danced in the wind but never went extinguished. Passing the flame from one hand to another Ever enjoyed playing around with her magic. Tim enthusiastically watched her, he loved seeing her use magic.  
“I swear, if Mike doesn‘t show up soon, I will freeze to death.“ Nolan mumbled from where he was almost hidden in his big jacket and his scarf. He had caught a cold and his nose was as red as a stop light and he always sounded nasal when he spoke. Theo fondly called him Rudolf.

“Where is Mike, by the way? He told us to come here but where is he?“ Liam asked and looked around.  
And then the door to the house they stood in front of, opened, Mike leaning in the doorway. “Come in, come in, I turned on the heating, it should be warm in a few minutes.“

“Mike, what is this here?” Liam inquired. He had no idea what to expect.  
“Maya said I should do something good with my money. I know you meant charity but I got this idea and you should really hear me out because I think this could work.”  
“What idea?” Liam suspiciously asked.  
“Of a pack house. We always pile into your apartment because we others, aside from Nolan, live in dorm rooms, and it’s getting a little bit crowded. So why not have a pack house?”   
Liam made a startled sound in the back of his throat. “A pack house? We can’t afford a house, let alone this house we’re currently standing in front of. Do you know how expensive this is? Not only the house but you need to pay taxes, need to pay bills to keep it running. That is expensive as hell.”  
“He’s freaking out.” Maya stated and rubbed his shoulders. “Lee, relax.”  
“Relax? Did you say relax? How am I supposed to relax?”  
“Liam, listen, I already calculated it. I buy the house with the money my parents gave me.” Mike simply said and Liam felt like pulling his hair.  
“And we pay rent or what?”  
“No. I buy the house, that’s it. I have this bank account with lots of money and I have no idea what to do with it. Let me do this for the pack. We need a place to hang out. One that doesn’t involve you and Theo cleaning up behind us or having to host us every day. We can’t have a real sleepover because there is not enough room at yours. So that’s the best solution. And in a few years, when we all have stable jobs, we can talk about everyone buying a part of the house and it will belong to all of us. Please, Liam, I usually don’t agree with Sadie but since I’m filthy rich, I can afford that, okay? And I want to do it.”

Liam sighed. Mike usually never begged but now he had those puppy eyes and that was unfair. Especially since the rest of the pack joined him. Only Theo stayed out of this but squeezed Liam’s shoulders.   
“And we’re here now because?” Liam inquired further.  
“The real estate broker is waiting for us inside.”  
“Of course.” Liam muttered and looked up at the building. It was nice to look at for sure, but it was expensive and kind of intimidating to Liam and he wasn’t so sure about the whole ordeal. He grumbled when the pack walked into the house. “Come on, puppy, one look won’t hurt.” Theo whispered into his ear and Liam wasn’t sure if it was his anchor’s voice or the breath against his ear but he sighed and followed when Theo squeezed his shoulders once again and then walked into the house too.

The real estate broker was waiting for them at the foot of the stairs in the entrance hall, a bright smile plastered on her face. Her brunette hair was tied back in an elegant ponytail and Liam didn’t miss how incredibly friendly she was towards Mike. He was the one with the money, of course, she was extra-friendly towards him. She now started talking about the house, when it had been built, about the neighborhood, and Liam paid no attention at all. He rather looked around and took everything in and when the broker suggested they took a look around, he did just that. 

The entryway was, like every other room, floored with light brown mahogany wood, brightly polished, and Liam supposed it would be fun to slide over it in fluffy socks. The stairs were across the entrance door, the banister had white bars and a mahogany handrail and a childish part of Liam wanted to find out how fast it would be to slide the handrail down. He refrained from finding out and wandered into the first room to the left from the front door. 

It was the living room with a fireplace and a big flatscreen hanging right above it. Two brig light grey couches and two comfy chairs with a slightly darker grey color were gathered around to have a perfect view of the screen and feel the warmth of the fire. Three big windows and a double door leading to the garden were letting enough light in to make the room bright and cozy, the creamy colored walls also helping. 

Liam wandered further, left the room through the second entrance, walked through the small corridor leading behind the stairs in the foyer and right into the kitchen. And if Liam had been unsure before, this kitchen almost made him want to move into this house forever. Because that kitchen? It had walls covered in stone optic with white, brown, and light grey stones, the cabinets were kept completely white with grey marble countertops and grey handles. The free-standing kitchen island was surrounded by white barstools, there were two (!) ovens, a modern microwave, and two big windows right above the sink gave enough light and a great view into the garden. The fridge was big enough to store a lot of food in there (Liam opened it and checked) and on the other side of the kitchen was a white, round, wooden table with six chairs.  
“You okay?” Ever asked Liam who just gaped at the kitchen.   
“That is basically my dream kitchen. It’s incredible. Look at that! There is even enough space to cook and yet somebody else can make something else without running out of space.”  
The witch grinned at him and then Theo appeared and grabbed Liam by his sleeve, tugging at it and pulling him out of the room.

“Puppy! They have a library! Look at that!”  
It was true, next to the kitchen was a smaller room with a fireplace and two comfy settles right in front of it. Even a desk stood at one wall so you could work here, and the walls were covered with bookshelves. Liam had no doubt Theo would be able to fill all of them with books. The chimera loved reading and that he had not much space to cover with books in their apartment was something that highly disturbed him. Liam could actually see him lounging in one of the settles, reading and having the glow from the fire illuminated him. Hot.  
Liam glanced at Theo and he had to roll his eyes. “Really? Now you’re giving me puppy eyes too? That’s not fair.”  
“But, a reading room!” Theo whined.  
Liam sighed. Theo usually never begged, just like Mike, and now he did too and Liam was weak. But just because he was also stubborn so he held out a finger. “We will watch the rest of the house.” He demanded and Theo nodded.  
“Sure.”

Liam nodded curtly and then turned around to walk back to the kitchen take the stairs there to get to the first floor, knowing full well the only way he would say No was when the first floor would be absolutely messy and chaotic. When even Theo gave him puppy eyes, he just wasn’t able to decline. 

Upstairs Liam looked around. A long hallway with several rooms and all doors opened since the pack was walking in and out, looking at everything and Liam was sure he heard Sadie and Ever already discuss who would take which room. He could just shake his head and then wander through the various bedrooms. Ten bedrooms in total, with three bathrooms on the floor as well. Each bedroom was in a slightly different style and had its own quirk; one had a small balcony, one a bigger walk-in closet, a third one had a bow window with a reading place. The biggest bedroom was located at the end of the hall, had windows on two sides and window seats under each, plus it was the only bedroom with an own bathroom. Liam liked it, he liked the whole house but this was still overwhelming and he still wasn’ sure if they should go through with it.

But then he returned back to the rest of the pack and the real estate broker in the living room and everybody looked at him expectantly. The broker had realized that while Mike had the money Liam seemed to be the one making decisions so she was extra-friendly towards him too and maybe it was just Liam’s imagination and wishful thinking but Theo seemed to suddenly be closer to him whenever she talked to Liam, almost as if he was alerting her to his presence. She wasn’t even flirting, not that Liam noticed, but it still seemed as if Theo was marking his territory. Even if it was wishful thinking, it left a warm feeling in Liam’s belly.

He now looked at his pack who expectantly looked at him. Liam sighed and looked around. “What about the furniture in here? Does it stay? We can’t furniture a whole house.”  
“The furniture stays, that’s the deal.” Mike explained and the broker nodded happily. She latched in an explanation where the furniture came from, that it was all brand new and never been used before and Liam had to stop her right there. “Okay, okay. You all convinced me. Go on with it.” He gave his okay and was hugged by Ever and Sadie. 

“You’re the best, Liam!”

******  
“Are you okay?” Theo had grabbed a soda from the fridge and now stood in front of Liam who was currently filling some chips into a bowl. Liam nodded, not bothering to look up. After they visited the house, they were now at their apartment with the rest of the pack, discussing everything.  
“Yeah.”  
Theo gave him an appraising look. “Are you saying this because it is true or because you don’t want to worry our Betas?”

Liam stopped decanting the chips and looked up. He had to smile, like always when Theo referred to the others as their Betas. It was true, without Theo Liam would not be the Alpha he was and they both knew it. He was grateful for the older one, Theo took quite some of the pressure away and supported Liam unconditionally without always agreeing with him. He made Liam see things from a different point of view and he acted as second in command when Liam wasn’t around. This was their pack and that Theo associated himself like that, saw the others as his Betas too made Liam’s heart flutter and his feelings for Theo even stronger. And yes, feelings. Liam had accepted his crush was far more than just that. He was in love with Theo and when Theo called the pack their Betas, it sounded like they belonged together. Enough for Liam’s heart to sing everytime he heard the other utter those words.

“Just overwhelmed, you know? I never expected the pack to have a pack house, less such a house with such expensive interior.”  
Theo smiled fondly. “I’m sure you will get used to it. We both are not very keen on accepting something from others, nothing tangible at least, but this is better for all of us.”  
Liam nodded and decanted the last chips, then he grabbed the bowl and walked into the living room of their apartment, where the others sat and discussed who got which room.

“I need the room at the end of the hall because it has the biggest closet and the windows are perfect for me to work.” Sadie said when Liam sat down and Theo sat next to Nolan on the other couch.  
“It was my idea so I should get the room.” Mike argued back and Sadie rolled her eyes.  
“I will build a freaking altar for you because you had this idea but I’m not giving up this room. Fight me, Archibald.”

“I don’t know why you’re discussing this. The biggest room is clearly reserved for the Alpha.” Theo said calmly and sipped his soda. Mike and Sadie immediately stopped arguing and looked at Liam who made a deprecating movement with his hands. “Nah, it’s fine, I can take one of the other rooms.”  
“It’s not fine. Those two will never stop arguing if you don’t take the room.” Maya chimed in and when Sadie gave her an affronted look, she shrugged. “Sads, I love you but it’s the truth.” Sadie just grumbled.  
“Seriously, Liam, you never cash in your Alpha status, so do it now. Having a bedroom with its own bathroom is cool and really useful. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll find your Alpha mate and then you will love the private bathroom.” Nolan reinforced Maya.  
“Yeah, you will enjoy the privacy of the bathroom when..what??” Theo had wanted to confirm Nolan’s statement but now he glared at the human who just shrugged.  
“Do you expect Liam to stay single his entire life?” He asked back and Theo’s jaw set. He was pressing it so hard together, you could see his jawline working. “Of course not.” He said or rather spat out.   
“See? That’s what I’m saying.”  
Theo simply raised an eyebrow and Nolan pointedly ignored the daggers glared at him. 

Liam munched a few chips and looked over at the list Ever had made. “Okay, so far Ever gets the first room on the right side and Tim the ones on the left. Nolan gets the room next to Tim’s and Maya the one across the hallway. What is this? One side boys and one side girls?” He joked, making his Betas laugh. “Then Theo gets the room before the last room at the end of the hallway. That means only Sadie, Mike and I needs to settle on rooms.”  
“Take the room at the end of the hall, Liam, seriously. I will take the one next to Maya’s, it also has quite a big walk-in closet.” Sadie suddenly passed the biggest room. Mike followed not a second behind. “I take the one next to Nolan I think. It’s okay, really. You deserve the biggest room as our big brother. You have the most responsibility and deserve a haven for yourself.”  
“Okay, okay, I’ll take it. Thanks, guys.” Liam agreed to it. 

Tim noticed. “Means the two Alphas are next to each other, just like it should be.”   
“Two Alphas? I’m not an Alpha, Timmy.” Theo corrected and continued sipping on his soda.   
“You are. I mean, you’re acting like one and always step up when Liam isn’t there. You’re guiding and shaping us as much as Liam is. You two are our big brothers or our dads at this point, whatever. You are both your Alphas, red eyes or not. Liam is our Alpha but you’re the Second Alpha.” Tim explained his train of thoughts. His fellow Betas nodded along.  
“Agreed.” Ever said.  
“Couldn’t have said it better.” “Alpha 1 and Alpha 2.” Maya added.   
Liam grinned. “I like that.” He told Theo and the chimera looked surprised.  
“You do?”  
“Yeah.” Liam affirmed. “Because it is true. And I like the thought of you as Second Alpha. It suits you.”  
Theo smiled softly, a fond smile directed at Liam and he loved that look on his friend’s face, okay? So Liam returned the smile just as fondly for a moment.

“Any new name suggestions?” He curiously asked then and put some more chips in his mouth. Theo chuckled.  
"Yeah, what exactly is this name thing you have going? I wanted to ask for weeks.” Mike suddenly remembered.   
“Liam and Theo have this bet after Theo found out Liam has a middle name. Theo guesses Liam’s middle name and he gets everything from Liam. It’s quite fun because it drives Theo crazy. He's currently losing, you know?”  
“I am not losing! I am slowly getting closer to the right answer, Maya, thank you very much.”  
“You could just marry Liam, then you would find out his middle name at any rate.” Sadie innocently suggested and Liam choked on his chips. Theo grinned. “I’d love that but only if Liam takes my last name.” He joked. Liam was still having a hard time breathing and took a sip of water to calm down again. The sheer image of them getting married was too much. Cut him some slack! 

“I expect a real proposal then.” He stubbornly mumbled when he had gulped down his water and Theo flashed him a grin.   
“Liam August Dunbar, will you....”  
“No!” Liam cut in. “No! Not August.”  
“Bellow.”  
Liam scrunched his nose.  
“Ralph.”  
“You’re jumping in the alphabet now. Nope.”  
“Blake. That would suit you.”  
“Agreed but it’s not Blake.”  
“Waldo?”  
“Ah, he’s using literary names now.” Sadie recognized and Theo nodded.  
Liam shook his head. “Not Waldo.” He said with a small smile. 

“Dante, Keats, Emerson, Twain, Galway.” Theo listed some and Liam looked at him. Theo’s eyes widened when he saw the smile on his friend’s face. “Oh my god, it’s one of them, right? Which one?”  
“Oh, come on, you got so far, Dore, don’t give up yet.” Liam teased.  
“Galway!” “No.”  
The tried to remember what else he had said. “Keats?” Liam shook his head once more.  
“Hm, then it must be Twain.” “Yeah...no. Not Twain.”  
“Then...Emerson?”   
Liam’s lip curled in an even wider smile and Theo blinked for a moment than he registered he didn’t get a negative answer. “Emerson? It’s really Emerson? I was right?”  
Liam grinned and nodded. Theo jumped from the couch, hands in the air and crying out in victory. “YES!”  
Liam and the rest of the pack laughed. “Liam Emerson Dunbar, that’s nice.” Ever said and Liam bowed his head. “Thank you.”  
“Wait, your initials are literally LED? I’m sorry but that’s hilarious to me.” Tim laughed, soon joined by Mike. 

Liam sighed but nodded. “Looks like it, yeah.” He looked over to Theo who had the most blinding smile Liam ever saw on his face. “I said you get everything from me if you win. What do you want?”  
“I’ll think of something. For now, I am satisfied with knowing it...Emerson.”  
“Oh god!” Liam acted like he was embarrassed and hid his face in a pillow. “Should have never given you the power of my middle name.”  
“I love it. It really fits you!” Theo was enjoying this. Liam peeked over the pillow. “Really?”  
“Yeah, sweetheart.” Theo confirmed with a smirk and winked at him and Liam hid again, willing down his blush. Did Theo know what he was doing to Liam?

“On another topic, is there anything you want to change in the house?” Mike asked.   
“I still can’t believe you managed to get this house with the furniture inside. I always knew houses that were furnished for showcasing and then were empty after being sold.” Liam wondered. Mike grinned.  
“That’s my charm.”  
Sadie groaned. “Thank god you are not conceited.”   
“Not more than you, princess.”  
She threw a chip at him.   
Maya raised her hand. “I would like to repaint my room walls. I don’t like the green they have.”  
“We’ll help you.” Theo said immediately and she smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Alpha number 2.”

******  
“Now that we have the house, can’t we spend the full moons in the basement?” Tim asked a few days after the pack officially took over the house.  
Liam frowned. “I’m not sure. Your wolves are still so untamed and the basement is a strange environment for them. It could set them even more on edge than they already are. Another thing is, you’re howling and whining and I fear somebody could hear is, even in the basement. And I don’t know how to explain to the neighbors how loud our dogs are if we don’t even have dogs.”  
“Can we get dogs, Liam?” Tim asked.  
“We just got a house. Baby steps, Timmy, baby steps.” Liam said with a laugh. Then he clapped his hands. “Okay, guys, let’s see your lists.”

He had given his Betas the assignment to write down what they thought could anchor them. Theo was out running in his shifted form. He needed this from time to time and since their garden was close to a small forest, Liam didn’t need to be too worried. He now gathered the papers from his Betas and looked at them.

“Maya, you said you lost your anchor when your parents died but you didn’t write them down. Why not?”

“Because when I think about my parents I think about their death and that I never really got to say goodbye. And then I get sad and angry and lose even more control. Which makes me think how ashamed they would be of me.” Maya confessed, not daring to meet or anybody’s else eyes.

“I think your parents would be incredibly proud of the young woman their daughter became.” Liam said softly and Maya glanced up. “And I think you should focus on the good times you had with your parents. Being sad, grieving, is okay and will never fully go away but when you focus on the good thing, you probably won’t get so sad. Maybe it gives you hope. You wrote hope down actually. Maybe this is what helps you.”

“You think that could work?” Maya asked and Liam nodded.  
“We will try it.” He promised her.”

******  
So they found themselves back at the stable at the next full moon, the untamed Betas pulling at their chains again. Ever had tried yoga with them, only to almost get decapitated by Mike had Theo not pulled her back in time. Now she was crouched down at a safe distance and tried to coach her friends through it.

“I know you all can do it. You keep your wolfs in check every other day, come on, guys!” She told them and Liam smiled. It was sweet how much she was rooting for her friends. 

“She’s right, you all can do it. Focus on what you think keeps you grounded, you all wrote it down. Maya, your parents. Think about the good times. Tim, you said you want to prove everyone wrong who thinks of you as weak. And Mike, you know you are part of something good, people care about you. Channel the love we have for you and you have for us. And you, Sadie, I know how the anger fuels your wolf but you are so strong such a fighter. You won’t let your untamed wolf win, will you? Show them you’re calling the shots and that you’re willing to work together under your conditions.”

“You know.” Maya said and groaned, eyes blazing gold. “Focusing on good times would be way easier if the weren’t chains wrapped around my whole body!” She rattled the chains and pulled at then.   
“Agreed.” Mike snarled and howled.   
Liam watched his Betas with a thoughtful look on his face. 

******  
“Is there a reason only me and Theo were supposed to come to this meeting?” Ever asked when she stepped into the Alpha’s apartment. Liam nodded and Theo made a curious sound.  
“Nolan usually would be here too but his parents are visiting next full moon so he won’t be with us and that’s why he’s not here now. I have a plan for the next full moon.”  
“What kind of plan?” Theo inquired.  
“Simple. The Betas won’t be chained up.” Liam explained, knowing full well Ever and Theo would freak out. They did.

**“What??”** Both asked at the same time.   
“Liam, this is crazy. Four untamed wolves running around, jumping each other’s throats and ours.” Theo called out.  
“I know. That’s why you’re here.” Liam said with a nod.  
Ever understood. “We’re your backup plan. But why us?”  
“Because you are the only ones who can touch mountain ash. My plan is to surround the whole stable with mountain ash so they can’t break out.”  
“But they are still running around inside and you can’t get out either.” Theo reminded him. Liam nodded again. “I know.”  
“So your plan is actually not chaining them up but having them run around and if they attack, I magically separate them and we strew mountain ash around them?” Ever wanted to make sure she understood that correctly.  
“Yep. You did it once with Sadie and Theo, you can do it again. I know it’s risky but maybe Maya’s right and the chains are part of the problem.”  
“Huh?” Theo asked.  
“When I was learning how to ride a bike, I said I couldn’t ride without stabilizers. My gramps told me I could ride a bike but since I had the stabilizers I was relying on them so much, I just never had to balance myself. That there was a difference between not being able to do something and just not having to do something. He took them off, I tried and I crashed, and the wolves will probably crash too and it maybe will get messy but maybe at the end of the night we have four wolves who had to control themselves completely alone for the first time, and maybe that’s what they need. A boost of confidence.”

“This is the riskiest shit you ever did and you’ve done a lot of risky shit in your life.” Theo scolded. “But if you want to go through with it...” He rolled his eyes. “I will help you.”  
“Great. Ever?” Liam asked hopefully.   
She groaned. “Fine. I will be deadly afraid but fine.”  
“One more thing, Lee. If you die: I will bring you back from the dead just so I can say I told you so and then I will kill you myself.” Theo threatened.  
“Sounds like a fair deal to me.” Liam agreed to that. 

******  
“You want us to do what???” Maya, Mike, Sadie, and Tim were just as shocked as Theo and Ever. Liam sighed. “I know you can do it, I believe in you.”  
“That’s nice. Remember that when we rip you apart.” Mike said sarcastically and Theo growled. Mike looked at the chimera. “Sorry, but we can’t control what the wolf does.”

Theo growled again and stepped forward. The worries about Liam’s plan and Liam probably getting hurt when said plan failed made him explode. “Screw that! Of course, you can, you just need to stop whining! When I can change, you can too! We worked weeks for that and all you need to do is stick with your humanity. Stop whining, stop saying it’s hard and actually try for once! You have to try tonight because nothing’s holding you back! And Liam’s rooting for you, we are all rooting for you, otherwise Ever and I wouldn’t be here. We are deadly afraid one of you or all of you will kill each other tonight, but we are still here, willing to go through with it. I know how strong each of you is, so stop complaining, stop crying, and get yourself together! You call me Second Alpha, so this is an order: Get your shit together!” He hissed and the Betas were shaken but then nodded. 

Liam put a reassuring hand on Theo’s shoulder. “Theo’s right, we’re all thinking you can do it. You rely on the chains and maybe this will help you to finally gain the control over your wolf. Show the wolf who’s in charge and then we can work on working with the wolf. But that’s a story for another day. We have mountain ash if anything goes wrong, okay? Now, do whatever relaxes you. Listen to music, play a game, read, talk to each other, everything to relax you as good as possible.” He instructed and the betas sighed but spread around the stable. Liam had called them to the stable earlier today, to give them a chance to get used to the new freedom, and now they had to wait.

The settled after a while. Ever and Tim played Uno in a corner, Maya leaned against the wall and listened to music, Sadie flipped through some magazines, and Mike played a video game on his portable console. Liam could almost bite the tension in the air, him and Theo were tense too, but he trusted in his Betas. maybe that’s what they needed. 

And then Tim threw his cards aside. “I can’t focus anymore!” He complained and rubbed his temples. Liam glanced at the sky, the moon was slowly rising higher and higher. 

“Could you turn down the volume? The racket is annoying.” Sadie suddenly snapped at Mike who ignored her until she got up and growled at him. His eyes flicked up and flashed gold. Liam and Theo slowly got to their feet, ready to interfere. Liam wanted to step between them but Theo kept him back. “Wait.” He said softly, watching them. Liam hesitated but then watched.

Sadie and Mike were snarling at each other. “And if I don’t turn it down? Your perfume is just as annoying because it stinks. Are you doing anything against it?”  
“I can break your nose, so you don’t have to smell it.” Sadie snapped. Liam took a step forward but Theo held him back. He obviously wanted to test something.  
Mike laughed in Sadie’s face. “Look at that, the control is slipping. Want to break my nose? Beat me up? Come on, show everyone you don’t have control. I am so much better at keeping in control than you!”  
Sadie laughed dryly. “Oh really? I bet I’m better than you. By the end of the night, I will walk out, completely in control, and you will be wolfed out.”  
“Wanna bet on that, princess?”  
“The bet is on, cyber-monkey!”

They glared at each other with glowing eyes, then spun around and paced back and forth. Liam saw Sadie’s claws dig in the palm of her hands and drops of blood falling to the ground, but she didn’t wolf out completely.

Maya whimpered and curled into a ball, hands running through her sweaty hair and music player laying next to her. She looked like he was in pain and Liam kneeled down in front of her, putting a hand on her knee. “My dad was always laughing and always cracked jokes. He was my best friend. My mom loved gardening. I got my love for nature from her. My dad was always laughing. My mom loved gardening. My dad was always laughing. My mom loved gardening. My dad was my best friend and my mom was my idol.” She repeated over and over again and when he blinked at Liam, her eyes flashed gold, but she stayed curled up. He nodded. “Keep this up, Maya, over and over again. Anchor yourself to the good things you had with them.”

Theo meanwhile checked on Tim. He was squirming on the ground but Ever had his hand in hers. “Tim, listen, I know you can do it. You want to prove everybody who thought of you as weak wrong. Your parents, your siblings, everyone. I know how strong you are, you have a great spirit. You can do it, I believe in you.” She told him and Theo patted his back in support.   
“Listen to her, Timmy, you’re not alone in this. You have us.”   
Tim nodded and pressed his hands against his head, claws sticking out while he fought the animal.

It was literally everything they could do in this moment and Liam worried his lips while he watched his Betas fight their wolves. There were several moments were either Ever or Theo grabbed the cans with wolfsbane to cage one or two wolves, like when Sadie suddenly snarled and then howled and slammed her claws against the wall, but then she pressed her eyes shut and her claws retracted, or when Tim made a run for the exit but was thrown back by the mountain ash barrier around the stable and Liam consoled him, but hours went on like this.

And then:

Maya fell to the ground, sweaty and out of breath, fingers raking over the ground. “I can’t. I’m so tired. My whole body aches. I can’t continue. Cage me!”  
Sadie next to her rolled on her back. “Please, this is not worth it. My wolf is a stubborn beast.”  
The guys just grumbled in an approving manner.   
“Guys!” Liam called out and when they tiredly raised their head to look at him, he opened the door to the stable. “It’s Morning.” He said while the soft light of the early morning filtered in. He smiled. “You made it.”

The Betas gasped and slowly got to their feet to inch closer to the door. They just stood there, sweaty and with aching bones, but to see the light of the new day and hear nature around them awakening again, was more beautiful than anything they ever witnessed before. Maya had her hand in front of her mouth and eyes were watering, Sadie was downright crying and the guys were just as emotional with Tim crying too and Mike gulping with teary eyes. Ever shouted with glee and then the three girls were hugging while Tim and Mike hugged each other too. Liam smiled and looked over at Theo. They both were exhausted too but seeing their Betas like that and having been up all night to see them fighting - and in the end, winning - against their wolves was worth every minute of missed sleep. Theo now pulled Liam into a tight hug too and Liam wrapped his arms around him, inhaling Theo’s rich scent. Their pack had made it! Liam laughed and Theo laughed too and suddenly they were in the middle of a hug attack executed by their Betas. “We made it! We made it and it’s all thanks to you!” Tim cried and Liam laughed. “It was all you, guys, really. You did a great job.”

When they all let go of each other, Liam smiled fondly. “We all are tired. Good thing we have our sleeping bags here. Let’s sleep for a while and then go home, shower and sleep for real.” He suggested and his Betas, happy to rest now, scrambled to unroll the sleeping bags and crawl inside. Soon enough, they all had their eyes closed and were more and more slipping into dreamland. Liam watched them, making sure they were okay until he could hear their regular and slow breathing, then he tore his eyes away and looked at Theo who had destroyed the mountain ash barrier outside and now walked back into the stable, closing the door behind him. Liam could not help but smile. Theo had stayed with him the entire time, Theo had made sure Liam was okay as well as their Betas. Theo cared so much about all of them and it made Liam’s heart swell. There was nothing but love and admiration he felt for the chimera because Liam knew, Theo was the reason he had managed everything the way he did. He was literally everything for Liam, the reason he was happy and the reason he was so in control. 

“What?” Theo asked with a soft smile. “Why you are looking at me like that?”

And Liam decided to just go for it. He needed to do this right now and so he walked over to Theo, took his face in both hands, and kissed him. 

It was a soft kiss, Liam’s lips gently pressing against Theo’s, and at first Theo didn’t react at all but then Liam felt Theo’s hands on his back and how he got pulled closer to the older, while the chimera softly tilted his head to get a better angle for their lips to slot together. And then he was kissing Liam’s back. Liam’s eyes fluttered shut and he fell into this kiss, lips parting for Theo’s tongue and their tongues met each other in a  slow, sensual dance. It felt like his heart was ready to jump out of his chest and Liam had never felt happier than right now when Theo returned the kisses. This was everything he had wished for and Theo was an even better kisser than in his dreams. 

He had lost track of time but when they parted, they only did it to breathe. Liam beamed at Theo. “I wanted to do this since years.” He confessed. He had already gone so far, he now could go all the way and confess his feelings.  
Theo smiled. “I wanted you to do this for years.”  
Liam laughed softly. “Why did you never say anything?”  
“Because.” Theo said while he wrapped his arms around Liam’s waist. “I didn’t know if you felt the same way about me and I didn’t want to jeopardize our friendship. You’re the most important person in my life, Liam.”  
“So are you and I had the same fear but now I just couldn’t...Our pack is so strong and you’re always there. I just had to kiss you.”  
Theo’s smiled grew more fondly and he kissed Liam softly again. “I’ happy you did it. But come on, we should sleep too. You’re just as exhausted as I am.” 

Liam nodded and then took Theo’s hand to pull them to their sleeping bags. When they sat down, Theo softly grabbed his chin and made Liam look at him. “Can I call you my boyfriend now?” He asked and for the first time, Liam saw insecurity flash in his eyes. As if he would say No, this was all fun but nothing serious.

Liam smiled and stroke over Theo’s cheek. “I waited years to finally kiss you and do that. You can bet we are in a relationship now. I’m not letting you go, _boyfriend_.” He leaned in and kissed Theo lovingly. Theo smiled and returned the kiss and then they curled up together in their sleeping bags, Theo’s arms securely wrapped around Liam. 

Liam had never slept better than now and when he woke up a few hours later, he felt refreshed even after being awake the whole night. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. With a loving smile, he stroked Theo’s cheek, making the chimera slowly wake up and blink. He smiled up at Liam and laced their hands together and really, Liam’s heart went giddy with joy. Theo sat up again and they looked at their Betas who were slowly waking up too.

“Morning.” Mike muttered and sat up, yawning. Tim next to him stretched and almost hit Mike in the face which he deeply apologized for. Liam smirked and started gathering their things and packing. He wanted a hot shower and a real bed now after only, he checked his watch, three hours of sleep. His Betas slowly woke up too and crawled out of their sleeping bags.   
“Did we miss something?” Sadie asked while she pulled a little hairbrush out of her bag and crew out her hair. Then she put it in a simple ponytail and gathered her things. Liam and Theo shared a look and Maya noticed. “You are happier than three hours ago. What happened?” She inquired.

Theo grinned. “Well...” He looked at Liam and then leaned in to brush his lips against his boyfriend’s. The pack’s reaction was almost explosive. Sadie squealed so loud, Ever screamed in joy, Maya just beamed at them, Mike looked highly surprised and then amused and Tim shouted “No way!” as loud as he could.  
“Oh my god, oh my god, what happened? I need details, all the details!” Sadie demanded.  
Liam shrugged. “We kissed and agreed to be boyfriends.” He agreed nonchalantly.   
“Who kissed who? Please, Theo, tell me it has been you.” Sadie begged.  
Theo laughed. “Liam kissed me first.”  
They all gave Liam a pointed look, aside from Maya who cheered. “YES! Pay up, suckers!” She shouted and held out her hands for her pack mates to grab their wallets and hand over twenty dollars each. The dark haired werewolf grinned and Liam looked betrayed.  
“You bet on us?”  
“We bet who would make the first move.”  
“And you all betted against me!” The young Alpha was shocked.  
“Liam, I love you, but I really thought Theo would get so fed up with the tension he just grabs you and kisses you. Thank you for nothing, Raeken!” Sadie fake-complained. Theo laughed. “I got a boyfriend out of it. I’d say I still won.”  
“Aw, you’re such sweet lovebirds.” The blonde cooed and Liam rolled his eyes and nudges Maya. “You were the only one betting on me? You have always been my favorite.”  
“I know.” She said with a laugh and pocketed the money she won. 

******  
Liam let the apartment door fall close. Since the campus had been closer than the pack house, they decided to go back to the dorms/their apartment and later meet at the house. Now he and Theo were home and he was happy. “Are you tired?” Theo asked him and put their bags down. Liam shook his head. “Tired but not in a way I could sleep now. But I don’t want to do much right now.”  
“Watching a movie?” Theo suggested and Liam nodded. “Sounds great.”

Theo smiled, stepped closer and cupped Liam’s face with both hands. “I still can’t believe I get to do this now.” He muttered and kissed Liam lovingly again. Liam smiled into the kiss and melted against Theo, hands loosely gripping the back of Theo’s shirt. They stood there and kissed for a while, just kissing and enjoying being close to each other. Liam could not wrap his head around it that Theo not only had kissed him back but wanted an actual relationship with him and not just a fling. They were going for this and he was so insanely happy. 

They moved to the couch after a while, Liam curled against Theo who had his arm around Liam and held him. Liam flipped through the various movies on Netflix and Theo used the time to kiss his neck every now and then. Liam settled for some Disney movie, just something to play in the background, because he rather just cuddled with his new boyfriend, love to have him so close in that way. Sometimes when Theo kissed his neck he let him and then turned his head to capture Theo’s lips with his. 

They spent two hours on the couch until the exhaustion crept up again and they could barely keep their eyes open. Theo yawned a few times and Liam turned off the tv.

“We should sleep, the night was long.” He mumbled softly. Theo nodded and stroke through Liam’s hair. Liam leaned in the touch, then he got up to pull Theo from the couch, peck his lips and then walk into his room to change into PJs. Theo did the same in his room and Liam could not resist leaning against the doorframe after he was done. “You’re not planning on sleeping in your bed, are you?” He said with a small smile. Theo had just pulled his shirt over his head and grinned. “I’m taking this as an invitation?” 

Liam nodded with a smirk and when Theo stepped closer, he turned around and pulled him into his room where they crawled into bed. They had slept next to each other quite a few times and close too, especially after the fight with the other Alpha, but it was different now to crawl under the covers with your boyfriend, wrap your arms around him and inhale his scent. Liam had always loved Theo’s scent but now it smelled even more heavingly and he ran his nose over the juncture of Theo’s shoulder and his neck. Theo laughed softly and ran a hand through Liam’s hair before it dipped lower, stroke over Liam’s back and just held him. They both yearned to touch each other, explore each other’s bodies, but that could wait a little bit longer. Sleep was more important right now. 

“Good night.” Liam said with a smile and pecked Theo’s lips before snuggling into Theo’s embrace. Theo smiled and snuggled closer to him, both arms wrapping around Liam. “Good night, baby.” He said lovingly and closed his eyes. Liam pressed his face against Theo’s chest and closed his eyes too, enjoying the feeling of drifting off in the arms of the person he loved. 

* * *

Authors's note:

I was asked aout adding some visuals for Mike and Tim.

So here have Tim

and Mike

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so happy about this chapter!  
> What do you think of the pack house idea? I thought it would be nice to have a place for all of them.  
> Liam's middle name is finally revealed!!! Would you have guessed it?  
> I am so proud of the Betas, I can't tell you enough! My babies found their anchors and we will see more about this soon.  
> Oh, and what do you say to our pack leaders? ^^


	17. Relationship Insight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam and Theo's relationship after they finally gotten over themselves. They have their first date and tell their friends about them being a couple.

Liam woke up and he felt good, despite having been exhausted from the full moon night prior. What a few hours of sleep could achieve. He blinked slowly and yawned. Noticing his fingers were laced with Theo’s and the chimera’s muscled chest was pressed against his back brought back everything that happened last night and Liam turned his head to look at his boyfriend.

Boyfriend. Every time Liam thought about Theo like that he had to smile. It was just so incredible that the person he had loved for years, wanted to be with him,  in a committed relationship. It made him dizzy with happiness and he smiled. Leaning in Liam gently kissed Theo’s lips and then his cheek and his jaw. Theo’s lips quirked into a soft smile.

“Could get used to you kissing me awake.” He mumbled and Liam loved the slight raspy sound of his voice right after waking up. That sounded sexy.   
“You can. I plan on waking you up like that quite often if you like it so much.” Liam muttered fondly and kissed Theo’s cheek once more.   
Theo opened his eyes and they sparkled with mischief. “And if I say I like to get woken up by a blowjob?” He teased and Liam laughed.   
“Maybe even that.” He agreed, leaned over the twenty-one-year-old and sealed Theo’s lips with his. Theo’s hand came up to run through his hair and he stroked over Liam’s scalp, gently running his fingers through the soft strands. He gently returned the kiss which slowly got more heated. Liam’s hand slipped from Theo’s cheek over his chest and then to the hem of his shirt and then slipped underneath it, stroking over Theo’s abs, feeling the muscles move underneath the skin when his slightly cooler fingertips touched the warm skin. Theo’s hands slipped under Liam’s shirt too, stroking his back and pressing him closer to Theo. They had wanted to touch each other like this since their first kiss but had been too exhausted to do so. Now they had slept and nothing could keep them now from touching and exploring.

Liam sat up when he needed to breathe, legs swinging over Theo’s to straddle the chimera. He grinned down at Theo and pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it aside. Theo grinned satisfied of having his boyfriend’s naked torso on display and reached up to run his hands over Liam’s upper body. His fingers ran over every muscle, almost as if he wanted to memorize it, and he smiled. Gaze locked with Liam’s he circled his index finger around Liam’s left nipple and the young Alpha sighed softly. Theo smirked and ran his thumb over the nub before softly pulling at it with two fingers. Liam shivered and moaned softly. Those touches alone made him hot all over and Theo knew, his smirk gave him away when he now moved on to the other nipple to give it the same treatment.   
Liam closed his eyes and enjoyed his boyfriend’s fingers on his skin. His hips moved slightly and now it was Theo who moaned softly. Liam opened his eyes again and looked down at Theo. Theo’s hazel eyes were darkened with lust and he looked at Liam like he was the most perfect thing in the world.

“Shit, you’re gorgeous.” Theo muttered and Liam smiled. He leaned down, letting their lips almost touch. “So are you.” He whispered and then kissed Theo for real. The chimera sighed into the kiss and wrapped both arms around Liam’s neck to pull him flush against himself. Rolling them around he pressed Liam on the mattress. They kissed for a while but then Theo pulled away this time. Liam watched him with hungry eyes while he crawled from the bed, pulled his shirt over his head and threw it aside and then let his pajama pants follow. Liam’s mouth watered when he just saw the dark grey boxer briefs his lover was wearing which were already slightly tented. His own pants tightened around the crotch area and he adjusted himself.  
Theo shook his head. “Pants off!” He calmly ordered and Liam grinned and made a show in raising his hips slowly and teasingly pulling the garment down. Theo watched him with dark eyes and when the pants pooled around his legs, he got too impatient, crawled on the bed again and pulled them off, threw them behind. 

Liam leaned on his elbows and watched the chimera towering over him. He smirked and then Theo was on him and they kissed again, wild and hungry this time. Liam’s hands were in Theo’s hair and his human nails raked over Theo’s back while he greedily returned the kiss. It was only this early morning they had kissed for the first time and he was already hooked because Theo’s lips were a pure sin and addictive as hell. Even more so when they started wandering from his lips over his chin and his neck and then all over his body. Liam gasped and arched into the feather-light kisses. It felt too good to be true and his body responded to every touch and kiss from Theo. 

Theo kissed over Liam’s upper body and took his time with it, letting his lips worship every inch of skin he could reach. He licked, kissed and teased the skin, human teeth lightly scraping over Liam’s abs. The young Alpha moaned and his hand found its way into Theo’s hair again, tugging at the soft strands. Theo moaned and his teeth tugged at the waistband of Liam’s boxer briefs. When that didn’t work the way he wanted, he let go again and pulled them down with his hands. Liam willingly raised his hips to help Theo discard his boxers and pull them down his legs. When they were finally gone, Theo sat back on his heels and just watched him with his intriguing gaze. Liam shivered when he saw the pure want in his boyfriend’s eyes. His own gaze wandered over Theo’s muscled body and he hooked one finger into the waistband of Theo’s boxers, tugging on them.   
“Want to see you too.” He demanded and Theo followed, raising his hips and pulling his boxers off as well before dropping them next to the bed. Liam’s blue eyes enjoyed what he saw. Had he seen Theo only shirtless or with just a towel, even naked after shifting, he now saw everything for r and it was even better than any fantasy he ever had about Theo. Nothing was better than the real Theo and Liam subconsciously licked his lips when he watched the hardening cock in front of him. Sitting up Liam took Theo’s hand and pulled him forward, letting Theo fall against him. Their lips met again in a passionate kiss and their naked bodies pressed against each other, causing them both to break the kiss and moan.

They rolled around again, Liam liking to have Theo beneath him. Now it was him who kissed over Theo’s throat and his chest, leaving little marks in his wake that disappeared as fast as he made them. He decided to not let this bother him right now, even though the thought of Theo wearing his mark for longer was oddly intriguing. But for now, he rather focused on just mapping out every inch of this glorious body beneath him with his lips. His tongue tasted the skin, swirled around, and made Theo shiver and become putty under his lips. 

Liam licked a stripe over Theo’s cock when he finally reached it. Just like Liam himself, Theo was rock hard now, and he gasped when he felt Liam’s tongue on his length. Liam grinned and licked again, this time the underside of Theo’s cock, earning yet another sharp gasp from Theo, and the chimera bucked up. Liam pressed one hand against Theo’s hip and kept him down on the bed and then he took his boyfriend’s member in his mouth. The tip at first, sucking softly, then he slowly took more and more in until it hit the back of his throat. Theo groaned and his hand fisted in Liam’s hair while Liam was going down on him.

“Fuck...Liam, where did you learn that?” The older gasped out and his grip tightened, especially when Liam started to bop his head up and down, humming softly. The vibration it sent down his cock made Theo buck up once more. His eyes darkened even more while he pushed himself on his elbows to watch Liam. Liam looked up and managed to wink at Theo, letting his tongue swirl around the length in his mouth. Theo groaned and his nostrils flared. “Fuck, you look breathtaking like this, baby.” He mumbled hoarsely and Liam continued sucking him off. Theo began thrusting into his mouth, especially when Liam grabbed the base of his cock and pumped it before fondling his balls. He heard Theo’s moans and whimpered getting louder and louder and groaned, his own cock getting even harder. This sounded so sinful and he wanted to give Theo enough reason to continue making those sounds. Precum from his own dick was dropping on the bed but he didn’t care.

“Liam...” Theo panted after a while and tugged at Liam’s hair. “I’m going to cum....” He warned and Liam hummed once more, sucked on the dick one last time and then released him, licking his lips. While Theo fell back on the bed and tried to remember how to breathe, Liam opened his bedside drawer and rummaged to it until he found the lube. Moving back he leaned over Theo and kissed him deeply, Theo immediately responded to the kiss. Liam opened the lube while they kissed and when he looked aside to put some on his fingers, Theo used the space to kiss his neck and suck on it.

Liam moaned and closed his eyes for a second, enjoying the soft feeling, but then he turned his head again and teasingly licked the chimera’s lips, Theo chuckled. He ran his hand through Liam’s hair in a  loving manner and Liam smiled fondly and pecked his lips again. His fingers wandered between them and circled around Theo’s hole and the older of the two groaned and pressed against the finger. Slowly one finger brushed past his boyfriend’s rim and Theo gasped out when Liam stilled to give him time to get used to the intrusion before he moved his finger. Soon he found Theo lose enough to add a second finger and scissor them inside his boyfriend. Theo gasped and moaned and gripped Liam’s shoulders, nails scratching the skin when a third finger was added and Liam was using them to prepare his partner. He seemed to have found the special spot after a while because Theo began trashing under him and Liam probed one, two more times, then he pulled his fingers out. 

Lubing up his cock happened swiftly and Theo opened his legs for him when Liam moved to settle between them. Theo was opening up for his Alpha, his boyfriend, in general, and Liam eagerly kissed him while his dick brushed against Theo’s rim and then he pushed in. Theo gasped and bit down on Liam’s lips, causing a groan from Liam at the pleasure mixed with pain. Theo felt incredible around him, tight and hot, and for a while, Liam didn’t kiss him but just kept their lips brushing against each other while he concentrated on not thrusting into him without giving his boyfriend the chance to get used to him.

“Fuck, you fill me so perfectly...Move, please!” Theo muttered after a while and licked the shell of Liam’s ear, making the Alpha shiver. But he followed his Beta’s plea and started to move his hips. It was slow at first, not wanting to overwhelm Theo, but the tightness around his cock made it hard not to let his beast take over and fuck Theo mercilessly. It took all his concentrated willpower not to start immediately but keep it slow and steady.   
His efforts were rewarded with Theo clinging to him, licking and kissing his ear and his shoulder while his blunt human nails raked over Liam’s back. Liam peppered kisses all over his face, throat, and neck while his hips moved in this slow rhythm.  
It was his goal to put all the feelings he had for Theo into this first sexual encounter they shared. He wanted to worship Theo’s body with his lips and the way he fucked him, so he kept his thrusts steady even though he picked up pace after a while.

Theo gasped and clung to Liam while he started to move against Liam’s thrusts, moving on Liam’s cock, and Liam groaned in pleasure. He adapted his speed to Theo’s movements which drove him only deeper into his lover and they both growled in pleasure. It felt so fricking amazing to be surrounded by Theo’s heat like that, have him so close in such an intimate way and taste him like that. His tongue licked the skin on Theo’s collarbone and his neck, making Theo shiver while he also groaned and panted just like Liam himself. The chimera threw his head back and moaned loudly when Liam hit especially deep and brushed his prostate. 

Theo had fisted his hand in one of the pillows the whole time but now he let go and Liam’s hand he had used to steady himself on the mattress slid up and he intertwined their fingers. It was stupidly sappy but he needed every contact, craved every contact from Theo he could get. Seeing the other wreathing and moaning beneath him made Liam feel all kind of things and he was pretty sure he was losing his mind. This man, _his man_ , was a living sin and Liam immediately got addicted to the image Theo gave up when he glanced down at his boyfriend. Head threw back and eyes closed, mouth slightly open and panting, a delicious flush spread over his whole body and a fine layer of sweat on his skin. They were both sweating, drops slowly rolling down their heated body, but Liam didn’t care in the slightest. 

“Fuck, you’re perfect. So perfect.” Theo muttered into his ear and licked the shell again and Liam hissed when he felt the sharp prick of claws on his back. It hurt for just a few seconds then pleasure flooded him and his hips snapped up, causing Theo to gasp in pleasure. Liam himself felt like he was spinning, completely out of control and yet so grounded to this very moment. Only their union counted, the two of them in his bed; the world outside could wait for them, as long as Theo was with him Liam would not care about it. 

Theo opened his eyes and tilted his head and Liam’s breath hitched in this throat when he noticed his Beta’s eyes glow like molten gold. Fuck, had Theo’s eyes always looked so incredibly? Liam could not remember and he stared at them, completely overwhelmed by this beauty. And then Theo’s lips curved into a smirk and Liam knew his own eyes glowed deep red in return. Theo surged up, put one hand on the back of Liam’s neck and pulled him into a heated kiss. Their tongues met and Liam groaned, eyes fluttering shut when the feelings overwhelmed him. 

His hips were still snapping against Theo’s, creating delicious wet sounds, and his whole body was tense but in an absolutely great way. It was aligned to feel everything from Theo and react to everything Theo made him feel. His body never ran hotter and he felt the familiar tingle in his stomach. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the hot kisses Theo trailed over his chin and his neck and his shoulder. The sharp edge of the chimera’s fangs teased the skin but they never broke it and with a whimper, Liam pushed against Theo. He belonged this man completely and he trusted Theo. His partner would never hurt him and so the feel of the fangs didn’t terrify him but excited him and he loved to feel them. His own fangs poked out and he licked over them and growled. 

Tilting Theo’s head, Liam gently sucked on the skin and then moved his lips. “You’re so tight around me, Dore. So incredibly tight and hot. Fuck you’re perfect!” He whispered into Theo’s ear and bit down on his neck, without his fangs but it still left a nice mark. It would be healed in a few hours but Liam didn’t care at the moment. Right now his wolf literally howled at the dark mark on Theo’s lightly tanned skin and he licked it, causing Theo to shiver and press down up against him. Theo moaned loudly, probably alerting their neighbors to what they were doing, and Liam loved it. The chimera sounded so raspy, so growly, Liam dug this sound! His own sounds weren’t less loud and he never stopped thrusting into Theo. His orgasm was fast approaching, Liam felt it deep inside his bones, and he pressed a hand between their hot bodies to wrap around Theo’s hard cock and smear the precum over the length. Theo mewled and clenched around Liam and the Alpha thrusted hard inside his lover, hitting Theo’s prostate just right and making him scream out. The chimera’s legs wrapped around him and pulled him even deeper and Liam called out Theo’s name. His hand pumped Theo’s length in time with his thrusts and he leaned his forehead against Theo’s. Theo was holding on Liam’s shoulders for his dear life and gasped.

“Not gonna last...” He panted and Liam bit down on Theo’s lower lip and sucked on it, earning himself a lewd moan from Theo, and then he screamed loudly when Theo clenched around him once more in that delicious way. His hips snapped forward and his hand around Theo’s cock dipped lower to fondle his balls. Theo scratched his claws over Liam’s shoulder and threw his head back with a roar when he came and shot between them, coating Liam’s hand and their stomachs. 

Liam gasped and his fangs ripped open his lower lip when he growled and felt Theo clench around his cock. It was enough to take him over the edge and he spilled deep inside Theo with a loud howl. He emptied his balls inside and then collapsed on top of Theo, breaths coming out in ragged puffs and his heart racing.

They were both sweaty but too tired to do anything about it now, so they just laid there and Liam felt Theo ran a hand through his sweaty hair after a while. It made the Alpha smile and he lightly turned his head to press a soft kiss on Theo’s shoulder before raising his head. Theo smiled at him, one of those tired but breathtaking smiles, and Liam smiled back, leaning in when Theo pulled him closer. The chimera kissed him lovingly, tongue darting out to lick away the remains of the blood on Liam’s split lip. Liam sighed softly and when Theo let him go, he pulled out and flopped down next to the older one.

 “That was the best sex I ever had.” Theo said and Liam shivered at the raspy voice his boyfriend had from being so vocal during sex.   
“Good. Because I was going to say the same thing.”   
Theo chuckled at Liam’s answer, rolled on his side and snuggled closer to Liam. His arms went around Liam and they both just laid there. “We still need to have our first date.” Liam suddenly remembered and Theo chuckled softly.  
“We do.” He agreed. “When should I pick you up?”  
Liam laughed. “We’ll find a suitable time.”

He stroke through Theo’s sweaty hair and looked at him. “Do we have to get up?” He inquired and Theo hummed.   
“In a while, yeah. Promised our Betas to meet them at the pack house after all.”  
“Hm, I’m sure they would understand if we stay in bed all day.”  
“Liam.” Theo tried to sound firm but he was laughing at the end and destroyed the illusion. “This is our family! And I know you, you want to spend time with them as well.” He gently kissed Liam’s chest.  
“I will make it worth your while.” He promised with a sly grin and winked at Liam. The young Alpha grinned. “Speaking of it: You know that we now get to share the biggest bedroom at the house, right?”  
Theo looked surprised. “I had not thought about that yet. But yeah, if you allow me in your room, I guess we share.”  
“Baby, why should I not allow you? You are my partner! I want to share with you.” And to convey his intention, he pulled Theo in a kiss which the chimera eagerly returned. 

******  
Liam and Theo entered the house and then followed the sound of voices into the kitchen. Their Betas had gathered there and when they were spotted, they all cheered.  
“Look at you, all holding hands and such!“ Sadie exclaimed happily. “You are so cute.“  
“Well, if you waited years for this, you don‘t let go anytime soon.“ Theo replied and Liam smiled at him.  
“Look at you being all sappy.“ He teased and yelped when Theo pulled him closer.  
“Not sappy, just stating facts!“ The older corrected and kissed Liam. Liam smiled into the kiss but then wrapped his arms around Theo‘s neck and returned it. When they pulled away again, he pressed a second kiss on Theo’s cheek and then Ever stepped forward and handed two glasses of champagne over.  
“Champagne? Are we celebrating something?“ Liam asked partly surprised and partly amused.  
“We’re celebrating that we found our anchors and that you two finally got over yourselves.“ Maya matter-of-factly explained and raised her glass. “So, cheers!“  
Liam smiled but clinked his glass with the rest of his pack before sipping the sparkling liquid. Mike made a face.

“I hate champagne! And it doesn’t even leave a slight buzz as always.“  
“Maybe because we can’t get drunk anyway?“ Theo suggested and downed the rest of his glass. “But I agree, champagne sucks.“  
Mike stared at him. “What do you mean we can’t get drunk?“  
“We heal too fast.“ Liam explained.  
Mike looked completely shocked by this. “The holidays are coming up and I can’t get drunk?“ He asked, voice bordering on hysterical. Tim frowned at his best friend. “How bad are your holidays that you need to get drunk?“ He inquired and Mike gave him a pointed look. “Don’t even get me started! The good part comes when I get drunk and play video games all day.“  
“Festive.“ Liam muttered. “Mikey, you know you can spend the holidays with us, right? I mean, we don’t have a full plan for the holidays yet but even if we spend the holidays in Beacon Hills you can come with us.“ He told his Beta and Theo nodded.  
“Liam and his mom cook more than enough to feed all of us.“ He joked and Liam made an affronted face.  
“You ate it!“  
“I never said I don‘t eat it, I just said you cook a lot.“  
“Maybe because I had to basically fight _someone_ for the chocolate cake!“  
“It was delicious! Not my fault you make delicious food!“

Mike raised his hand as if he was in school. “I was sold when I heard chocolate cake.“  
“I want chocolate cake too!“ Ever complained. “Liam, if we promise to help you, do you make it for us too even when the holidays are not around?“ She asked her Alpha and gave him puppy eyes. Liam smiled and nodded. “Sure. As long as Theo stays out of the kitchen.“  
“Excuse me?“ Theo snorted.  
“Last time you were in the kitchen when I did some baking, it ended in a fluor fight!“  
“Okay, true…“

******  
“You are so bad at this game.“ Liam laughed at his best friend’s failed attempt to cast a spell and his avatar rolled out of harm’s way.  
Mason scoffed. “Am not. Not my fault I don’t have freaky supernatural reflexes and press buttons faster than the speed of light.“  
“No, you’re just bad.“ Corey agreed with Liam and had his figure vanquish an enemy before it could kill Mason. The three friends had met in this online game and were video chatting simultaneously. It was a lazy afternoon and Liam sat in the living room of the pack house. The flat screen really had its perks for such games. Ever lounged near the windows and was currently meditating which Liam found impressive itself. It was too cold to do it in the garden so she had chosen the autumn sun shining through the windows and that she could sit like this for a long time was something Liam would never understand. She didn’t even react when his game made noises or he talked.

“I hate both of you!“ Mason now muttered and Corey and Liam laughed. The second chimera made a funny face at the camera and Liam snorted with laughter. Corey may be quieter but he could be a real clown.  
“Liam, what are your plans for Thanksgiving?“ Mason now asked, seemingly too frustrated with the game so he changed the topic.  
“I still don’t know. There are still so many people who haven’t told me their plans yet, so really I can‘t tell you. Yours?“  
“My parents are on vacation and Corey’s parents simply don’t care. So if you want, we could celebrate with you anytime, any place.“  
“Sounds good. I’ll tell you if our plans become clearer.“

Theo wandered into the room and Liam smiled at his boyfriend. He had been skating with Mike and his cheeks were flushed from the rough breeze outside, hair disheveled because he kept running his hands through it just like he did right now before putting his base cap back on backwards and Liam loved this look on his boyfriend, especially paired with the navy blue sweater he wore (a present from Liam a year ago) and the grey jeans. The chimera walked over, leaned over the couch when Liam stretched and pulled Liam in a kiss. Liam had not counted how often they kissed since they got together but every kiss still made his knees weak and his heart pounded faster in his chest. Listening to Theo’s heartbeat made him aware that the same happened to his boyfriend, Theo’s heart had sped up too. 

“You’re cold.“ Liam mumbled, nose nudging Theo’s slightly.  
Theo chuckled. “It’s autumn outside, puppy.“  
“There’s freshly brewed coffee in the kitchen. Fix yourself a mug and warm yourself up.“ His “order“ was more amused than anything else but Theo still followed it after another quick kiss. Liam watched him leave with a smile and then suddenly remembered his game. He turned his head towards the camera again and saw Mason and Corey gaping at him, eyes wide as saucers. Or rather Mason gaped, Corey had this excited look on his face and was slapping Mason‘s arm repeatedly.  
“Close your mouth or you will catch flies.“ Liam said to cover up the way his cheeks heated up. That had not been his plan on telling his best friend and his best friend’s boyfriend about his new relationship.

“What? You? Theo?? What the…? Liam, what the hell?“ Mason sputtered and Liam scratched his neck.  
“Uhm, yeah, we got together last full moon. Surprise guys!“  
The sound Mason made was far more than a screech and startled Corey so much he instantly turned invisible and it took a few moments before he appeared again. “Jesus, Mase!“  
Mason gesticulated towards Liam. “Excuse me but have you seen that? My best friend is sitting there, all innocent, and suddenly he’s sucking faces with Theo Raeken, his longtime crush extraordinaire! I have the right to be shocked. And last full moon? That‘s two days ago and you haven‘t told me yet? LIAM! I need to learn about those things immediately!“  
Liam had to laugh. “Sorry! I wanted to call you but everything happened and we were so exhausted and then yesterday we just hung out and yeah…The Betas learned to control their shift on the full moon by the way.“  
“What? That‘s great!“ Corey exclaimed happily and Mason nodded though he was still busy with the Theo and Liam situation at hand.  
“So, you and Theo…are you a couple now?“  
“Yeah.“ Liam could not help the grin spreading across his face. “And, Mase, seriously, I wanted to tell you but as I said, yesterday ran by so fast and today I didn’t want to start the call with that.“  
“Nah, it’s fine. You’re happy, right?“  
“More than just happy.“

Mason smiled at his best friend. He knew how long Liam had been crushing on Theo and Mason had also noticed his feelings ran deeper than just a crush. Being the supportive person he was, Mason had been rooting for them, just like Corey who still looked as if Christmas came early this year.  
“You look good together.“ The second chimera said.  
“Thanks.“ Theo replied and dropped on the couch next to Liam, a big mug of coffee in hand and Liam asked himself how Theo managed that without spilling anything. Now the first Beta passed his arm around Liam’s shoulder and really, that shouldn’t make Liam as giddy as it did, but he still snuggled into Theo’s side. Now Theo sipped his coffee and continued the talk with Mason and Corey.

“Anything new?“  
Both shook their heads. “Same old, same old. Our life isn’t as thrilling as yours. Gaining control, new relationships, Alphas running around, you live the crazy life.“  
“We didn’t choose the crazy life, the crazy life chose us.“ Liam and Ever who had finished her meditation and stepped behind the couch to look at the screen said at the same time and laughed.  
“Hey, Morey.“ She then greeted Mason and Corey who waved. Theo raised an eyebrow.  
“Morey?“ He inquired.  
Ever pointed at the screen. “Mason plus Corey, Morey. You two are Thiam. Sadie’s and mine creation.“  
Theo took a moment to consider this. “Leo would also work with our names.“ He then piped in.  
"Leo will be the name of your son.“ Sadie, who just walked in, explained. “Everything already planned.“  
Liam was so entertained by this idea, he could not help but ask. “Oh, we have a son named Leo? What else did you plan for us?“

The blonde looked up from her phone. “When you get married, you keep it simple so your suits are either black or grey. But your ties will be in a color. Either red, going with red roses as decoration, or blue because it looks good and is Theo’s favorite color. The arrangement of the table for the party will be smaller round tables all around. Depending on the tie color, the decoration varies slightly. The only thing all of us cannot agree on is which last name you take. Dunbar, Raeken or if you go for a double name. Mike and Maya say Raeken, I say a double name and Ever, Tim and Nolan stand her ground and say Dunbar. Morey, suggestions?“  
“Raeken-Dunbar.“ Mason said. “Raeken.“ Corey said.  
Theo looked at all of them. “You all have lost your minds. We’ve been dating for two days now. How can you think of marriage already?“  
“Maybe because you were pining after each other for so long?“ Ever simply answered and then sashayed out of the room and Liam started laughing at the perplexed look on his boyfriend’s face.

******  
Liam munched a bowl full of cereal. He sat at the kitchen counter on one of the barstools and talked to Maya who was at the table and painted yet another protest sign. “You are careful when you go to those protests, right?“ Liam asked her.  
Maya looked up and nodded. “Of course I am. I don‘t go to protests that turn violent and if it happens. I leave as soon as possible. You can voice your opinion but you don‘t need to throw stones.“  
Liam nodded. He really didn’t want her to get hurt and he was relieved she saw it that way. “Still, be careful, okay?“  
She saluted. “Yes, dad, don‘t worry!“

Liam’s phone which he had put on the island next to him ringed and he checked the caller ID. Swallowing his cereal he accepted the call.  
“Hey, Lydia.“  
He liked talking to her but just like with every other member oft he McCall pack they had become estranged. Liam knew it was partly his fault with moving to Seattle and becoming an Alpha, not coming clean to his old pack, starting a new pack and all but he also felt like the others could put up more effort as well.  
“Liam, how are you?“ Her voice sounded warm and friendly. She had always mothered Liam a little bit, being like a big sister he never had, and he was grateful for the times she saved him. And still, there was this distance.  
“I’m fine, how are you?“  
“Good, good, MIT is a whole new world but it gives me something to do.“ She told him and laughed and Liam had to laugh too. He could remember how she had already had taken over by storm. She was Lydia for heaven‘s sake! “What about you, Liam? How‘s Seattle? How’s Theo? Given his latest Instagram post, you are alive and well and having fun with your new friends.“

Theo had posted a group picture of the core pack making silly faces in the living room. It was such a silly picture and made Liam laugh every time he saw it. “Yeah, it was just a silly snapshot but we are all well. Theo‘s doing great.“  
“And you are okay too for sure?“  
Liam raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, why?“ He asked.  
Lydia sighed and Liam could almost see her throwing her red hair over her shoulder. “Look, Liam, I know the pack became a bit estranged over time. College life and being a young adult isn’t easy and keeping in touch is not always manageable the way one would like. And since you are not living in Beacon Hills anymore but in Seattle, we have even less time together. Which is okay, you also are allowed to live your own life but it still complicates things.“  
“Lydia, what is the big deal? Did something happen? Did Scott say something?“  
“No, no. I just know he promised to visit you and it was kind of my fault that didn’t happen. I want you to know we care about you. Just because we don‘t talk that often doesn’t mean we don‘t care about you. It’s just…You are so quiet, Liam. We barely hear anything from you and if we do everything is fine. A few hunters here and there but that’s it. Nothing major or too dangerous. So we assume your life is happy and healthy and really it should be like that, but it also makes us older pack members think that you are okay and we don‘t have to worry so much about you. Alec, for example, he is around Scott so he has more bonding time with him. We know he is healthy and well and even if he gets sent on a mission, we check more often if he’s okay than with you. It‘s our fault, I know that, but I’m calling to say you can always call if something happens, okay?”

“I know I can.“ Liam said. He paused and then decided to be brave. “But things changed, Lydia. I changed, I’m sure all of us have, and it’s different now.“  
“You’re growing up, I know, Liam. But you will always be our Baby Beta.“  
Liam’s jaw clenched. He had never really liked that nickname, now even less than before. “I’m not a baby!“  
“I know, I know.“ Lydia hurried to say. “But you’re like our little brother. It’s fun to tease you every now and then.“  
“Hm, okay.“ He loved his old pack, he really did, but the fact they treated him like the baby oft he pack most of the time never really bode well with him and had been one of the main reasons for him to break out every once in a while. “Things still have changed, Lyds.“  
“And that is good, right? It changed for the better, I mean? You can live a quiet life now. With new friends.“  
“They are not just friends.“ Liam suddenly said. “They are my new pack.“

Lydia was silent for a few moments. “Oh.“ She finally said. “I see. It’s only logical, I guess. Hanging out with other werewolves – they are werewolves, right? – and you became a pack. Like when us older members left town and you became the puppy pack.“ She laughed and Liam chuckled too. “As long as you are happy, Liam, I am happy too.“  
“They are weres, yes. I am, Lyds. I am happy. My life is great right now, we all are great. Which is partly thanks to Theo. We…finally got over ourselves and got together.“  
“Together? You mean, like for real?“ Even the banshee was surprised by that and Lydia usually seemed pretty cool about those things.  
“Together as in a couple, yeah. Since a few days.“  
She squealed. “Congratulations, Liam. Tell Theo that too, okay? I’m happy for you guys.”

Liam smiled. He had missed talking to Lydia and a part of him wanted to tell her everything, wanted to confess but another part (and this was, unfortunately, the bigger part) hesitated. He would bring her in trouble since she was loyal to Scott but would have to hide such a big secret from the True Alpha and she didn’t deserve that. So he said nothing about his current status in werewolf hierarchy. “You know, Sadie, the blonde in the picture, is just as stylish and genius as you are. You two would get along pretty well.“ He told her and Lydia laughed.  
“She sounds awesome. Can‘t wait to meet her one day.“  
“You will. Maybe on Thanksgiving? What are your plans?“  
“Uhm, me and my mom drive to Washington with the Sheriff to spend it with Stiles. Then mom and I will have a few days off for a stay at a wellness hotel. Just us ladies.“  
“Sounds really nice. Tell Stiles hi, okay? And the parents as well. Do you know what the others planned?“  
“Malia and Scott spend Thanksgiving with Scott’s parents, Peter, Derek and Chris Argent in San Francisco. They take Alec with them as far as I know.“  
“Oh, okay.“  
That meant everyone had made plans from his old pack and Liam could finally plan too. Since all of them were gone anyway, he didn’t need to drive back to Beacon Hills with Theo and Mike and could set his other plan in motion he had plotted in the back of his mind. So after Lydia and he ended their call, he looked at Maya.

“What are your plans for Thanksgiving?“  
She shrugged and stroke a strand of hair out of her face, smearing red paint on her forehead. “My aunt is traveling with her boyfriend, so I’m staying here. It’s okay, we have Christmas together and I can finally check some things off my to-do list. Why?“  
Liam grinned. “Wait and see. Need help with your sign?“

******  
Liam finished the last bit of his escalope and looked at his pack. They all were gathered around the table in the dining room and ate what he had cooked. It was nice to have them together like this, Liam really liked it and his wolf felt at ease.  
“What are your plans for Thanksgiving? I know about Mike and Maya but what about your others?“  
“No plans made.“ Nolan answered. “My parents are visiting my aunt‘s.“  
“I’m staying here. That’s it.“ Sadie said. “My parents have to work anyway, so I will stay in town.“  
“Me too. My mom and my dad are traveling with my mom’s family and while I love my big family this is just too much Sandoval intake for one holiday so I stay away.“ Ever said with a laugh.  
Tim sipped on his water. “I don‘t want to go home.“ He confessed. “So if you have any plans that I could participate in, please!“  
“You don’t want to spend time with your family?“ Theo inquired and Tim looked at his empty plate and bit his lip before shaking his head. “It’s only a big competition between my siblings. Who has the most success at work or school? Who has the best partner? The most friends? The most duties and titles? And it continues on Christmas. I always lose so if I could sit it out, that would be lovely.“  
“You can.“ Liam said.  
They all looked at him, curious what their Alpha had planned.

“I would like to spend Thanksgiving with the whole pack at the lake. We would all be in town so I’d vote for driving there, finally uniting the two groups and let all of you meet. Mason and Corey would come too. And I would like to invite Mom and Dad too.“  
“That’s a great idea, really. I’m in.“ Maya said and Ever nodded. “Me too.“  
“I planned on spending the days with Isaac.“ Nolan shyly threw in.  
“Isaac’s already invited and said yes. He will come too, of course. Byron and the others know as well so all you have to say is Yes.“  
“Yes.“ The pack chorused. The aspect of meeting the rest of the Mountain Dew pack was just so amazing and they were already excited.

******  
Checking his reflection in the mirror Liam grinned at himself. He was excited because tonight he had his first date with Theo. Which was all kinds of weird since they were already in a committed relationship, had sex quite often (how was he supposed to stay away from Theo and not touch him?) and yet they never went on a real date. So here they were and Liam was really, really happy.

“You look gorgeous, like always.“ Theo said while leaving the bathroom. Nolan had been right when he said Liam would enjoy having a bathroom to himself when he was in a relationship. This really came quite in handy for them and sharing a room with his boyfriend was really nice. Meant he got to see Theo emerging the bathroom shirtless and watching him put on a dark green henley that made his eyes stand out. Liam loved it.  
“You look gorgeous too.“ He responded and Theo grinned at him. Liam was under no illusion his dark blue jeans and the white sweater with dark blue applications on the sleeves were no real match for Theo in his henley and stone grey jeans but the way Theo looked at him made him feel special. He now put on his jacket and Theo did the same and then they were ready to go.

When they left the room and walked downstairs to the foyer, the pack was already waiting for them. Ever had her phone raised and snapped a picture. “Your first date, that is a historical event. We have to make sure it doesn’t get forgotten.“  
Sadie and Mike sniffed playfully. “They grow up so fast.“ The blonde dramatically cried and clung to Maya who laughed.  
“I am so proud, boys. But remember safe sex.“ Mike chirped and Theo and Liam shared a look.  
“We need a new pack.“ The chimera uttered out loud and Liam nodded. “Absolutely.“  
“Nooo, you love us!“ Tim and Nolan cried at the same time and Liam and Theo found themselves in a tight hug by the both of them. And soon the rest joined the hug. “Group hug. Again?“ Theo mumbled but let it happen regardless of his complaints.  
“Have fun, guys. Really. Enjoy your date.“ Ever wished when they finally parted and let Liam and Theo go. The two waved and then left the house to get into Theo’s truck. The couple shared a loving glance and then they drove towards their destination.

Liam had quite a few dates in his life. Had his high school experience been Hayden and then being single, he got more _out there_ in college and had started to flirt more, ask people out or get asked out and so dates had happened. All kinds of dates. Good ones and terrible ones, boring ones and exciting ones (he once had his first date at a concert), so Liam thought he had come around a bit. But none of those dates had come close to his date with Theo.  
Because it started with a reading. Liam wasn‘t the biggest reader but he noticed what authors Theo was reading a lot from, so when he found out one of those writers had a reading in a local bookstore, he had suggested this to Theo as the first date. Theo had looked surprised, claiming that he would hate for Liam just sit there for two hours but Liam had countered that going to the movies on a first date wasn‘t anything different. So Theo had accepted after a while and here they were, next to each other in the small bookstore and listening to the author’s words and explanations about his work. Liam had to admit he liked what he heard and if Theo finished the book he would like to read it too. But what he enjoyed more was that he sat next to Theo, knees brushing every so often and their fingers laced together the whole time. Theo’s thumb circled over the back of Liam’s hand and when Liam looked over his boyfriend had this happy smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes and he looked drop-dead gorgeous. This view alone was enough confirmation that Liam’s idea with the reading had been one of the best he ever had and when it was over, Theo pulled him into a loving hug and a tender kiss.  
“Thank you.“ He muttered into Liam’s ear and tilted his head to kiss his Alpha’s neck. Liam wrapped his arms around Theo’s waist and squeezed him.  
„”It made you happy, that was all I wanted. And if you finished the book I would like to read it too, okay?“  
“Sure.“ Theo said and Liam kissed him once more before the left the store and walked down the boulevard hand in hand. Mayne restaurants were around the area so finding something to eat should be easy.

They settled for a cozy restaurant and found a small table in the back of it. The waiter was incredibly friendly and Liam immediately liked it here. It didn’t take long before they ordered their drinks, anti-alcoholic of course, and Liam looked around.  
“When I told Sadie and Maya we decided on one day a week to just hang out together, both said it was a date night. Looks like they were right in the end.“  
Theo laughed and squeezed Liam’s hand. Their fingers were still laced together and their hands laid on top of the table. It was a comforting weight. “Looks like it but I like it turned into a date night.“  
Liam smirked. “Me too. I just remembered that now.“

Theo nodded with a soft smile, just as the waiter brought their drinks. They thanked him and toasted. “To our first date.“  
Theo sipped his drink and then watched Liam in this calculating way of his. “Isn’t it crazy how they all were rooting for us?“  
“I think they saw what we could not see.“  
“Hm.“ Theo licked over his lower lip, “When did you realize you saw me as more than just a friend?“  
And Liam had to think about it. That was a long time ago and if he was really, really honest to himself the point it had sparked and the point he noticed it had been two very different moments. “I realized it shortly after you moved in with us. Remember the day you helped Mom clean the choked-up drainpipe? I walked into the kitchen and there you were, working and joking around with my mother at the same time and it felt so freaking domestic and that’s when it hit me that I wanted this. With you. I wanted you to be domestic with my family, wanted you to joke around with my parents, wanted you to be part of my family. Just not as a brother or as a friend. But it sparked way earlier and grew into something around the zoo.“ He grinned. “What about you?“

Theo didn’s even miss a beat when he replied. “After the war, we had the rest of the puppy pack over and you played video games. You won and you were so freaking happy, laughing and just looking breathtaking and I realized I was fucked because I had fallen harder for you than I ever dreamed of doing.“  
Liam blushed. “Oh.“ He said and took a sip of his drink.  
Theo grinned. “I like it when you blush, you know? That’s cute.“  
“It’s not.“ Liam lamely defended himself but he silently preened at the sweet compliment.  
“It is. I like everything about you. When you’re shy and blushing, when you’re passionate and your eyes are sparkling, and speaking of your eyes, I love your Alpha mode.“ He winked at Liam who chuckled.  
“Really?“  
“Really. If we get home, I can show you how much.“  
Liam still smirked and for a moment his eyes flashed red. “Can’t wait.“

Next minute his eyes returned back to blue cause the waiter brought their food and Liam smiled sweetly at him and thanked him while Theo watched his boyfriend with an intriguing glance, eyes dark with lust. Liam gently nudged his foot against Theo’s. “Eat or it will get cold, baby.“  
Theo growled lowly at it but then started to eat too.

After a few bites, Liam cleared his throat and drank from his water before coughing softly. “Did the menu say it was that spicy?“ He asked and Theo looked amusedly.  
“Well, you ordered something spicy, honey.“  
“There’s a difference between spicy and basically sucking a hot pepper.“  
Theo grinned and Liam held out a fork for him to taste. Theo leaned over and let Liam feed the bite to him. He chewed, swallowed and it took a moment then he gasped. He hastily grabbed his water and downed a large chunk of it. Liam watched him and then he started laughing. He was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face and then Theo suddenly joined in and they both laughed their asses off. It wasn’t loud laughing given the fact they were still in the restaurant but the type of almost soundless laughing where all you could do is hold your stomach and cry while laughing. The waiter gave them a funny look which resulted in yet another fit of giggles.

“Want to continue that, puppy?“ Theo asked after a while and Liam dug his fork into it.  
“I never said it tastes bad, it’s just hot. But Mase and I tried this once. Since I became a werewolf I taste the spiciness but it doesn’t bother me afterward which, in Mason’s words, makes me an invincible asshole and he hates my guts!“  
Theo chortled. “That sounds like Mason.“

They continued eating and talked about everything, work, and classes, the pack. They had kept their usual banter and Liam was grateful that their friendship seemed only to have grown stronger. He now understood why people said they were dating their best friend. It made everything so much better.

After they had dinner and paid, they walked further down the boulevard, Theo had his arm slung around Liam’s shoulder and Liam had his arm slung around Theo’s waist. They walked pressed close together and just watched the shop windows and the things happening on the street.

“I remember when Mason got his ears pierced.“ Liam said when they bypassed a piercing studio. “He tried to convince me to get mine pierced too but I refused.“  
Theo watched Liam’s when he inspected the various piercings on display in the window. “Do you want to get them done now?“ He asked and Liam shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you think it would suit me?“  
“I think you would look hot. But I think that about you no matter how you look.“  
“Sap.“ Liam commented and Theo pulled him closer to lick a stripe over his cheek. “Be nice, puppy!“  
Liam squeaked and rubbed over his cheek. “Idiot!“  
“Your idiot.“ Theo proudly corrected and Liam smiled. “Exactly.“

They started walking again, following the path into a smaller park. „”On Thanksgiving, I want to tell Mom and Dad about us.“  
“They know about us, puppy. Remember the picture you sent your mom after texting: We need to tell you something? I’m pretty sure sending your mother a picture of you and your boyfriend kissing is a dead give away they know.“  
Liam tsked. “Not about that. I want to tell them about us being werewolves.“

Theo fell silent for a while then he stopped walking and made Liam turn to look at him. “Are you sure?“  
Liam nodded. “I am still afraid they will abandon me but I’m an Alpha now and we have our pack and that is so much responsibility that I think I should give an example. For Mike, for Tim, for them all. Sure, it would destroy me when my parents abandon me because of what I am but if I didn’t do it at the beginning, now is probably a good time to do so.“ He looked at Theo. “Just promise you will be on my side, no matter what, okay?“  
Theo cupped his face in his hands. “Liam, of course, I am by your side. And not just as long as it helps me but forever.“ He gave a small salute to their past and Liam smiled softly. Theo swooped in and kissed him tenderly, pouring all his love and devotion in the kiss. Liam sighed, hand gripping the front of Theo‘s henley and he returned the kiss with just as much feeling.  
When they parted, his eyes sparkled and he smiled dreamingly. Theo had the same fond expression and stroke over his cheek.  
“I love you.“ Both said at the same time and then just looked at each other before they started laughing again. Some might say it was too early in their relationship to call it love but Liam had been in love with Theo for years, they only got together now. So yes, he was pretty sure he loved Theo and obviously the chimera felt the same way about him.  
They now kissed again and again and again, in the middle of a park in the afternoon, surrounded by crips Autumn air.

******  
Liam gasped and his claws dug into Theo’s shoulder, making the chimera hiss. Now Theo stimulated him like this with two fingers inside him he scissored so perfectly, brushing over Liam’s special spot and making him see stars. They had come home from their date and had been on each other, clothes getting thrown to the ground and now they were on the bed and Theo was preparing him. 

“Baby, please...need you...” Liam gasped and looked up, eyes flashing red. Theo looked at him with a smirk, eyes flashing gold in return. He probed his fingers until he found Liam lose enough then he pulled out and kissed him. Dropping next to Liam, he made an inviting motion with his hand. “Come here and take what you want.” He challenged and Liam grinned, eagerly following.

He straddled Theo, legs on both sides of his boyfriend, and slowly sunk down on Theo’s cock. Both groaned and Liam exhaled loudly. Having Theo inside him always felt so incredibly, in another way than being inside Theo, and he loved it. Now he started to move, rolling his hips slow at first to give them time to get used to it. The blanket was pooling around them but they were both already so hot they didn’t even bother with it. Liam’s hands ran over Theo’s chest and he closed his eyes while he rode his lover. Theo gasped and held his hips and started to move with Liam after a while. It made his cock shift slightly inside Liam and the young Alpha gasped in pleasure at how deeper Theo suddenly pushed. His hip moved faster and he threw his head back in ecstasy. 

“Fuck, you feel so good.” He muttered and his fangs poked out while he spoke. Theo patted his hips and Liam felt his claws stroking his skin, causing him to shiver and ride Theo even faster. He was already so sensitive from how Theo had stimulated before, he felt like he could come just from having his boyfriend’s hard cock inside him and filling him so perfectly.

Liam pushed himself up so Theo almost slipped out of him, then he sunk down again, spearing himself. Both called out each other’s name and Liam opened his eyes to look at Theo. He smirked and Theo smirked back. “Look at you. You’re a masterpiece. Riding me so well.” He praised and Liam preened under it. 

“Won’t last long.” He still warned and Theo stroke his cock. It made Liam whimper. “Come for me, Liam.” Theo calmly said. “Cum for me, Alpha!”

Liam whimpered and rode Theo faster until his partner’s cock stimulated him too much and he shot his load all over Theo’s chest and his stomach. He clenched around the hard member inside him and Theo groaned loudly. He bucked his hips up, again brushing against Liam’s sweet spot, and then Liam felt the sensation of being filled. He moaned again, body shaking with exhaustion but he was sated and happy and when he finally could move next to Theo, he curled into his side and snuggled closer to Theo. Theo chuckled, pulled the blanket around them and Liam closer to himself. “I love you.” He muttered, eyes closing and running his hand through Liam’s hair.  
“I love you too.” The Alpha mumbled back, eyes already closed and drifting to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know not many things happened but I still think having a chapter to showcase the relationship between Liam and Theo could not hurt, right?  
> Let me know what you think :)


	18. That's pack!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The whole pack is in for an emotional rollercoaster this time.

Liam closed the front door to the pack house behind himself and sighed. It was warm inside the house, he heard the crackle of a fire and felt the warmth and he heard his pack talk in the living room. He took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack and tied off his shoes before wandering into the living room. The fire was lit in the fireplace, Sadie and Tim were playing chess by the window, Mike, Ever, Maya and Nolan watched TV, and Theo was in one of the chairs and read. They all looked at their Alpha and smiled when he walked in and Liam smiled back. Tim noticed the package the nineteen-year-old was holding in his hand.

“Liam, what’s that?”

Now the others got curious too as Liam walked over and dropped down on the armrest of Theo’s chair. The chimera put his book aside and smiled up at his boyfriend, arm resting on Liam’s upper leg. He was just as curious as the others to see what was in the small package Liam held wrapped with brown paper with colorful prints on it. Liam opened it and retrieved two small sacks, one in bright red and one in a bright blue color. He handed the red sack to Mike and the blue one to Tim and both looked perplexed. The rest of the pack chuckled happily. Mike frowned and played with the little sack. “Liam, what’s this here?”

“Our necklaces!” Maya explained and pulled out her own from under her shirt. “We all have one and they were all in such small sacks.”  
“I thought this was something you got done for yourselves. As a pack thing.”  
“Yeah but you’re part of the pack too and it was only a matter of time before you got ones yourself from the pack at the lake.” Theo said calmly.   
Mike still looked baffled something would actually give him something. “So is this some kind of pack pledging or something? Do I need to do something?”  
“You need to listen.” Liam cut in and unfolded the letter that came with the necklaces. 

_**Mike and Tim,** _

**_our fellow pack mates already got their gifts when their pack bound grew stronger after defeating a threat and you didn’t even think about becoming a part of a wolf pack. But times change, here you are now and we are just as happy to welcome you to our family as they were. Being freshly bitten is never easy but we want you to remember you have a family in all of us. People to love and people that will always and unconditionally love you._ **

**_To explain what those necklaces stand for: The Morning Dew Pack has its own pack symbol and every Alpha still decides on their own symbol for their reign. Liam did this too and you surely noticed the various pendants on your pack members’ necks. Those are for you now._ **

Liam looked at Tim. “You go first.” 

_**Tim, you have a very soft soul and you are very understanding. Your open mind made it possible for you to seek help when you realized you needed it and you have been a valid part of the pack ever since. Your heart is true and you know how to love and forgive. Your soft character is one of the strongest traits you have, so keep it under all circumstances. We all are proud of you for being so strong and calm. Thank you for not letting the harsh world destroy this for you.** _

Tim stared at the pendant and the chain he had pulled out of his little sack. It hung on a soft brown leather cord and the pendant itself was a rotund shale plate with both pack symbols painted on it with white paint. Tim’s mouth hung open and he was completely speechless, just staring at the beautiful thing.   
“Why are they sending us something like this?“ He suddenly asked. “Something so incredibly beautiful? They don’t know us.“  
“They are our pack and that’s how they are.“ Liam explained with a soft smile and Tim nodded with tears in his eyes and happily pressed his necklace against his chest before putting it on.

Mike eyed his little sack and turned it in his hands. For a moment Liam was sure he would decline it, but then he snorted. “Did they write anything about me?“  
“They did.“ Liam answered.

**_Mike, you’re probably more stubborn than Sadie but it also means you have a very strong character. We congratulate you on this, it’s a good thing to have. You are strong and you stick to your beliefs but you are also able to understand the difference between people who really care and people who just use you for money and admit when you were wrong. Let it be known, this pack will never use you nor your money. You are wanted here and we all deeply care about you, son. We are family._**

Mike’s pendant hung from a silver leather cord and was a copper plate in oval shape. The symbols were burned into both sides of the plate. Mike looked at it from all sides and then he slowly exhaled.  
“I don‘t know when was the last time somebody made me something.“ He muttered and just like Tim he had tears in his eyes.  
“That’s pack.“ Sadie suddenly said. “I had to learn that too, that sometimes this can mean something good.“ She smiled at Liam who nodded with a fond smile and a proud look on his face. He surveyed his pack and laced this fingers with Theo’s. This was their family and despite all the hardships they already come so far and still had years of all kinds of experiences waiting for them. And he couldn’t wait for Thanksgiving to have the whole pack together.

He felt a tug at his hoodie string and averted his eyes from his pack to look at Theo. His boyfriend smirked and then he tugged at Liam’s hoodie string once more, pulling him in. Their lips touched in a sweet kiss and Theo teasingly nipped at his bottom lip. “I didn’t get a welcome kiss.“ He joked and Liam chuckle.  
“How could I forget that?“  
And just because he could, he put his hand on Theo’s cheek and kissed him again, deeper but still as sweet as before. Theo’s heartbeat picked up at that and he sighed into the kiss, making Liam smile again. He did this quite often lately. All because right now, he was happy and his life was simply perfect.

******  
The Betas were gathered in the kitchen of their house, Theo trying to store away all groceries they had bought while at the same time defending the cookies he also bought from hungry wolves. It was all fun and games until they heard the front door slam and immediately their heads spun around, alarmed and ready to pounce. And then Liam barged into the kitchen, cell phone pressed against his ear, and his face, as well as the tone of his voice, portrayed how angry he was. Not that his chemosignals weren’t another indicator, no. Liam was fuming with rage and it was enough to make the whole pack tensed.

“You know nothing about them because you are not here. Why do you think I asked you to come to Seattle? Just to meet Theo and me? We are fine, we don‘t need constant monitoring from our former Alpha!“  
Theo mouthed Scott’s name when the Betas looked at him, unsure what to do. Their Alpha was angry and they all were at loss. But Theo stayed relatively calm, watching Liam while bracing his hands on the countertop. Liam himself was pacing through the kitchen.  
“Liam, I know I promised you to come and I am sorry I had to cancel. I was just surprised you didn’t tell me about you seemingly finding a new pack.“ Scott tried to reason with his Beta but it only fueled Liam’s anger.  
“I could not tell you because you barely listen to me! When was the last time we had a long talk? I know you’re busy with saving every werewolf in existence but for the love of god, Scott, I was your first bitten Beta, you should pay a little attention to me too. I could have died! And this is not me being jealous of Alec or any other wolf you come across, this is just me stating facts! You didn’t even bother to ask about Thanksgiving. I mean, come on, Scott, I’m aware you have a lot on your plate but seriously?”

A part of Liam knew he was being unfair but right now he was too riled up to care. Liam tried to focus on Theo being there, his anchor, but when Scott started to defend himself and excuse himself, it didn’t.  
“I know I’m not doing anything right, Liam, but I’m trying. It’s hard with everyone scattered all around the states.“  
“Well, you could try a little harder! It’s possible to manage a pack scattered across different places. With weekly calls for example.“ Liam snapped and then hung up. He did the same thing with his pack, dammit! He threw his phone on the counter and then braced his arms on it, head hung low, while he pressed his eyes shut and tried to calm down.

“Liam?“ Ever hesitantly asked, worry etched on her face just like insecurity. They all had no idea how to handle an Alpha who was that pissed and had the anger rolling off him in waves. Theo was the only one brave enough to approach him and so he stepped behind Liam and massaged his shoulders before pressing a soft kiss on Liam‘s neck. “Talk to us.“ He said softly, not really demanding since he knew it wasn’t good to pressure Liam in times like this. 

Liam didn’t reply but pushed himself off and moved away. Theo’s hands slipped from his shoulders but Theo didn’t move to grab Liam again when he stormed out of the kitchen and upstairs.  
“What is he doing?“ Mike asked.  
“Going for a run.“ Theo simply answered. “He needs to blow off steam and he feels caged right now.“  
“Because of us?“ Sadie asked.  
“Because he’s angry at Scott, angry at himself for being angry at Scott, his anger issues act up, all together. Let him. He will calm down in a while.“ The second Alpha calmed their Betas down.

Liam meanwhile ripped his shirt over his head and threw it away before changing into a tank top. He had already put on running shorts and shoes and now grabbed his music player. He was so incredibly angry and despite how chilly it was outside, his light clothing would literally cool him down, aside from the running giving him an outlet. He spun around again and left his room, racing down the stairs and outside. And when his feet hit the pavement, he started running. 

Music was blaring in his ears and overloaded his senses but he didn’t care as he raced through the streets and into a park. How long he ran at a relatively fast speed, Liam paid no real attention but when his lungs finally burned and his whole body ached, he slowed down. Taking some several deep breaths, Liam steadied his hands on his knees and looked around. He ran quite far and going back when his whole body ached would be a bitch but it also helped clear his head even more. It helped him think differently about the call and he knew he had lashed out and had been a bit unfair to Scott. But it was too late now, they just had to talk another time and make up again. Scott thankfully wasn’t resentful.

Turning down the volume of his music, Liam started walking back home. He shivered, the chill air and him being drenched in sweat even made an Alpha werewolf run cold, and he was happy when he finally saw the familiar house coming up after a while. He opened the door and basked in the warmth inside. This was where he belonged, this was his home.

His way led him into the kitchen again where he found his pack, gathered around the island again, but this time to fill bowls with all kinds of snacks and candy. “We decided to just have a slow night, curl up on the living room floor by the fire, talk and eat candy.“ Maya said when she spotted Liam.

“And hot cocoa.“ Sadie added from her place at the stove where she was making said hot chocolate. Theo looked at Liam, took in his appearance, and popped a mini marshmallow in his mouth, eyes never leaving Liam’s. They shared a look and Liam got the silent question if he was alright again and nodded curtly.

“I’ll take a shower and then I’ll join you.“ He mumbled and when he walked past them Ever softly squeezed his arm in silent support. It made him smile softly while he ascended the stairs. He was tired but the outlook to have a quiet night with his friends was enough to keep him up. And the hot water of the shower helped him relax even more and warm him again, so when he trotted back into the living room, dressed in a grey hoodie and black sweatpants paired with fluffy socks, he felt better than before. The pack had already settled on top of the many blankets and pillows they had thrown to the floor after they pushed the couch table aside. The fire was warming the room and the only source of light in the otherwise dark room. The bowls full of candy stood on the floor between them all and Liam settled next to Theo before grabbing a handful of gummy bears.

“Feeling better?” Mike asked Liam and he nodded.   
“Liam, what exactly happened? You were already so angry when you came home. What did Scott say?” Sadie inquired. “I mean, you don’t have to tell us, of course, but we are worried.”  
Liam sighed deeply. “I don’t know how it happened. We started talking and everything was fine but suddenly he mentioned the talk with Lydia and asked why I didn’t tell him I got a new pack. One word led to another and suddenly I got so angry and snapped.” He shrugged helplessly when he ended and Theo rubbed his shoulder in a comforting gesture before pulling him closer. Liam smiled sadly and leaned against his boyfriend. “I will probably call him and say I’m sorry.”  
“Wait a day or two. You may have been angry but in the end, you said some things which were true, so you both should consider some things. Talk in a few days, after you both calmed down.” Theo muttered and kissed Liam’s cheek. Liam snuggled closer to him and nodded. “Hm, maybe you’re right.”

He sighed and then cleared his throat. “Let’s stop talking about that and instead talk about other things, shall we?” He suggested and his Betas nodded and they all fell into an easy conversation about Thanksgiving and how excited they all were.   
"It’s sad but I really can’t remember a Thanksgiving I didn’t spend with people who were not paid to spend time with me.” Mike said with a thoughtful look before reaching over and grabbing a hand of chocolate beans to eat. “So I am really excited, guys, even though I may not jump around like the rest of you.”  
“We know you are. You don’t have to jump around.” Maya said with a soft smile. “Though I would love to see you jump around, not gonna lie.”  
“Well, that...never happens.”  
“Why? Because you think you’re too cool?” Sadie asked sarcastically.  
Mike grinned, “Because I’m too old for it now.” He mimicked the voice of an old man. “When you experience the things I experienced, when you saw the things I saw, when you did what I did, then you will understand, young lady.”  
Nolan started to giggle hysterically. “That was comedy gold!” He gasped out, tears streamed down his face while he still tried to compose himself. “I didn’t know you could do something like that.”  
Mike shrugged with a grin. “There are still a lot of things you don’t know about me and I’m sure I don’t know a lot of things about you as well.”  
“Okay, then tell us one thing we don’t know about you yet.” Theo prompted curiously. Mike tilted his head while he thought about something. 

“When I was still in high school, I hacked my parents’ company.” He then decided on something.   
“You what? Really? I mean, I know you are good with computers but why?” Ever asked and scrunched her nose in confusion.  
Mike sighed. “I didn’t want to commit a crime but I wanted to see how far I could come. It wasn’t my intention to cause any harm.”  
“And how long did your parents ground you?” Liam wanted to know, an amused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth,  
Mike grumbled. “Not one day. When they found out it was me they simply said ‘Oh.’, turned around and walked away, back to their work.” He explained and added bitterly: “They didn’t even care enough to ground me!”  
Tim gave him a comforting squeeze on his leg and Mike gave his best friend a grateful smile. Liam could not wrap his head around how little parents could care about their children. But on the other hand, his biological father was like that too...

And since they already had the topic of terrible parents, Liam decided to join. “My father, my biological father I mean, was abusive.” He enunciated and they all stared at him. Theo, the only one who knew the story, put one arm around Liam’s shoulder to give him a little bit of support. Liam shrugged his shoulders.  
“He was very tyrannical and intended to make sure my mother knew her place. Verbally at first, then he started to hit her and later he also hit me. When he beat me to up so badly I needed to go to the hospital, my mom finally realized she needed to divorce him. It was just her and me for years after that and we had to recover from what happened. Since the day at the court I haven’t seen my father, I don’t even know where he is.”  
“Oh my god, Liam. When you said your father wasn’t a good dad, I simply thought he didn’t care, I never expected this. I am so sorry.” Sadie said shocked. Ever nodded and reached over to pat Liam’s leg. Liam smiled sadly. “I have a great dad now. My stepdad is really awesome, you will see at Thanksgiving. And he also loves my mom with all his heart. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner for her.”

"They must be really amazing parents, their son is already pretty amazing.” Maya said with a soft smile. “Can’t wait to meet them.”  
Liam smiled at her and bowed his head. “Thank you, Maya. They will love all of you for sure.”  
“Really? All of us?” Mike asked with a grin.  
Theo chuckled. “Hey, they took me in and treated me like their second son. When they can love me, they for sure will love you.” He pointed out.   
Liam looked at him and grinned. “I’m still happy they didn’t adopt you. That would have been weird, dating my brother.”  
“Kinky!” Maya, Tim, and Mike said at the same time and laughed. Theo just rolled his eyes.  
“Well, we would have made it work for sure.” He kissed Liam before the young Alpha could say anything against it and Liam just melted into the kiss and kissed back.

When they pulled away again, Liam smiled at his boyfriend and Theo smiled back but Liam also saw some sort of hesitation in his boyfriend’s beautiful hazel eyes. He made a questioning face and Theo seemed to ponder on something before he sighed. He then turned towards the rest of the pack, hand squeezing Liam’s and never letting go.  
“Since we’re already having some serious topics here, might as well jump the bandwagon and tell you my story.” He addressed what was on his mind and Liam’s eyes widened slightly. He knew that this was hard for Theo to talk about and that he was willing to do it, took a lot of bravery. He squeezed Theo’s hand back in silent support while the Betas curiously waited for the second Alpha to elaborate. 

“I was born and raised in Beacon Hills and lived with my parents and my older sister Tara. I was a quiet kid, battling asthma, and since I was very reserved and serious I didn’t have many friends. A few kids I played with but that was it. Scott and Stiles were a few of those kids, I played Little league with Stiles at some point but that’s not really important right now. When I was the age of nine, three people in leather mask suddenly showed up and started talking to me.”  
“The Dread Doctors you once mentioned?” Ever asked and Theo nodded. He took a deep breath and continued.

“They...told me a war was about to happen. Two very powerful creatures and nothing could stop them, it was like some sort of prophecy or something. I was eight, I didn’t understand everything they said but I understood it was bad. And then they told me I could do something, that they could help me survive this war. I didn’t know when this war would happen but I was deadly afraid of what they told me and I didn’t want to die. I was just a kid, it didn’t cross my mind they were lying or manipulating me, they told me they saw greatness in me after all. That I was the perfect one for their plans. And after weeks they told me that my sister wasn’t strong enough to survive the war and that they had talked to her too and that she accepted her fate.” Theo swallowed around the lump in his throat and Liam put his arm around the chimera.   
“You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to. It’s okay.” He mumbled but Theo shook his head and blinked away the tears in his eyes. “They should know. I want to tell them now. I already started.”

He swallowed again and rubbed over his eyes and decided to rip it off like a band-aid. “The Dread Doctors told me my sister wanted me to have her heart and that this was the only way I could become strong enough to survive the war. They also told me that because my sister was weak she wanted me to have her heart but would still beg and scream when it was finally time to give her heart to me. Long story short, they had manipulated me for weeks and when Tara and I were in the preserve and she fell into the creek, I did nothing to help her. She froze and I did nothing, just watched her. That day I killed my sister, just like the Dread Doctors wanted me to, and when she was dead, they came and took us both back to the laboratory to transplant her heart in my chest.” He stopped once again and looked down at his hands, not daring to look at his Betas. They all stared at him and nobody said something. Liam rubbed his back and tried to give his boyfriend the best support he could at this very moment. 

Theo collected himself after a while and continued. “My parents were devasted after Tara’s death. Their favorite child was dead and they never got over it; the Dread Doctors made me leave with them anyway and for years I was their experiment, the first chimera. I saw others come and go but they never survived and I learned you only survive if you have power, so I needed to gather more power. To survive their experiments and become their ultimate experiment.”

“The Beast.” Liam cut in and Theo nodded. It wasn’t easy to talk about all this but he felt the need to continue.

“When I heard about the True Alpha Scott McCall and his pack in Beacon Hills my plan set into motion. There is rarely a bigger power than a True Alpha’s power and so it was pretty straight. Kill Scott McCall and take his power as well as his pack. Because they all had this powerful dark side. The only problem was that the one able to take A True Alpha’s power is a Beta bitten by them and so I manipulated Liam.”

“I have to say that this was a time where my first girlfriend, Hayden, was dying. She was also a chimera and her body repulsed the changes. I begged Scott to bite her and save her life but he refused and I felt so betrayed. Theo’s manipulation was just the last straw. Add a supermoon to that and you have an explosive mixture. I completely lost it and tried to kill Scott so I could become an Alpha and give Hayden the bite.” Liam said quietly. It wasn’t fair to give Theo all the blame in this.   
“But you didn’t and in the end, I went back to kill Scott myself.”  
“Since his mother brought him back, you also didn’t really kill him.” Liam added yet again and Theo just shrugged. 

“I did a lot of bad things, even though I didn’t become the Beast. I brought some people back from the dead to have my own pack and then killed most members of it again to get their powers. The only ones who survived were Corey and Hayden. I was responsible for Scott and Stiles having a fallout and for Lydia to land in Eichen House. I did everything to gain power.” Theo wrung his fingers. “Kira, a kitsune, put an end to it when she sent me to hell. And for three agonizing months, I had my dead sister rip my heart out over and over again in a neverending circle.”

“How did you came back?” Maya asked, but her voice sounded clipped and strange.

Theo, however, was too caught in his story to really notice. “Liam brought me back. He used Kira’s sword because he thought I could help against the Ghost Riders with the powers I stole from the dead chimeras. We found out I lost the powers while I was in hell but Liam still decided to not send me back.”  
“You changed.” Liam stressed. “That’s why.”  
“Yeah, I wasn't power hungry anymore, I just wanted to survive. After Ghost Riders came the hunters and the war and I was lonely, without any home or any ties. I slept in my truck because who would take in a chimera who tried to kill anybody? Nobody and I deserved all of this. I deserved the pack’s distrust and hate and despite us having to fight together, I deserved every mean word they sad to me, every punch and every broken nose. I still wonder how they came around in the end and started to accept me.” 

“Hey.” Liam said softly but he made Theo look at him before kissing him firmly. “You changed. You’re not the Theo who came to Beacon Hills back then. That Theo was left in hell. You are the real Theo, the good Theo. And we know it.” He told his partner and kissed him again to convey the meaning of his words. Liam actually expected his pack to agree but when he and Theo finally looked at the Betas, they all stared at them, unreadable expressions on their faces. Liam felt Theo squeeze his hands so tightly he almost broke the bones when minutes ticked by and none had said anything, and the Alpha cleared his throat. “We probably should all go to bed. It’s late anyway. We can clean up here tomorrow.” 

Maybe a good night’s sleep to let all of this sink in would help to relieve the tension in the air. The Betas hastily got to their feet and scattered away. Liam and Theo slowly got to their feet too and Liam pulled Theo along, upstairs and into their room. When the door closed behind them, he wrapped his arms around Theo from the side and kissed his temple. “I’m proud of you.” He said softly.

“Hm.” Theo made an unconvinced sound and gently freed himself from Liam to change into pajamas and brush his teeth. When he was done he walked back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Liam let him, deciding to not pressure Theo into talking right now, and changed too as well as brushing his teeth. 

When he walked back into their bedroom, Theo still sat at the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. “They hate me.” He said in a broken voice and Liam saw the tears in his eyes. “Have you seen their faces? They hate me.” 

“Baby!” Liam said bewilderedly and sat down next to Theo to put a hand on his leg and the other around his shoulders. “Nobody hates you! They were just shocked. They all know you as the good Theo, they didn’t know about your story, that’s all. It is shocking, we both know that, but you changed. That’s important.”

Theo shook his head and could barely look at Liam. “They hate me and they will never trust me again. I’ll leave the pack if you want me to. I would understand. If I were them, I would hate me too. I do it anyway.”

“Hey, hey!” Liam said and wrapped both arms around his boyfriend. “No one’s going to leave the pack! They don’t hate you, they just need some time to let it sink in. Maybe it was all a bit too much but it’s good you told them. Took a lot of bravery from you and I am so proud of you, baby.” He consoled Theo and stroke over his back while hugging him tightly. Theo leaned against him and cried into his chest, clutching Liam’s shirt with one hand.  
“I wanted them to know, I couldn’t hide anymore. They are my family, they should know and I wanted them to know. I destroyed everything.” He sobbed.  
“Shh.” Liam mumbled.  
Liam’s heart clenched painfully,. Seeing his lover like this broke his heart, Theo didn’t deserve this. He could understand his Betas initial shock but another part of him wanted to storm into their rooms and yell at them for making his boyfriend cry.  

He decided to focus on Theo instead and when Theo finally stopped crying he moved them both into bed and under the covers. Pulling Theo close, he felt the chimera press even closer to him as if he was seeking shelter and Liam soothingly stroke through his hair. “They will come around. They don’t hate you.” He muttered softly and Theo sniffled.   
“I hope you are right but like I said, I could understand if they do hate me and don’t trust me anymore.”  
“Shh.” Liam said. “Try to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day and we will see from there.”  
Theo sniffled again and clung to Liam, almost as if he was afraid Liam would leave too. Liam could do nothing more than to hold him. 

None of them noticed their Betas overhearing their conversation and then meeting in Ever’s room. “He thinks we hate him.” Tim announced after he had closed the door. He was leaned against it, Mike leaned against the wall while the three girls sat on Ever’s bed and Nolan leaned against her desk.   
“Well, he can’t hold our distant behavior against us.” Sadie cut in.  
“But we don’t _hate_ him.” Maya replied. “Yes, what we heard was shocking but we don’t hate him. It’s Theo! Our big brother!”  
“Hate is a strong word, agreed.” Ever said but she didn’t confirm Maya’s other statement.

Mike cleared his throat and stepped away from the wall. “Can we all stop acting like fucking hypocrites right now? Yes, I never expected Theo to have such a backstory but who are we to judge? We weren’t there, we weren’t living in Beacon Hills when all this shit went down. We have no right to judge Theo for what he did in the past. And he got sent to hell! Hell! If that doesn’t change a person, I don’t know what does! Also, Liam was one of the people he manipulated and tired it kill. Liam was there and he should hate Theo’s guts but instead? He loves him! He forgave him! If Liam can forgive Theo, who are we to hold a grudge and claim we don’t trust him anymore?”

“Mike’s right.” Nolan said. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest and had looked at the floor but now he looked up. “If you hate Theo and say you can’t trust him anymore, you have to hate me too. I was manipulated by another person, just like Theo, and I know how easy it can be for people to get into your head, especially when you are young and afraid. I was on the side of the hunters and at some point, I was okay with Liam and the others dying because they were something I didn’t understand and was scared of. And I was also okay with humans dying because they stood with the supernaturals. So you kick Theo out, you kick me out too because I did nothing different.”

“You both changed.” Mike stressed. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be part of this pack. You may not trust Theo at the moment but trust Liam. He took Theo and Nolan in, Theo even in his home without fearing he would kill him in his sleep. Trust our Alpha’s judgment, guys!”

“Also, I was there, at the hospital, I saw Theo taking Gabe’s pain; the pain of a guy who had tried to kill him minutes ago. Liam once said to take the pain you not only need to care but you also need to be completely selfless and put another’s wellbeing over yours because you take their pain into your body. This takes a really good heart, guys.”

The Betas were silent after this, all lost in thoughts.” We should have at least told him we are thankful for him being honest.” Tim stated after a while and the others nodded.

******  
Liam woke up the next day and immediately checked on Theo next to him. The chimera was hidden under the blankets and still wrapped in Liam’s arm as if he sought protection from all bad feelings during the night, It still made his heart clench and he softly stroke through Theo’s hair. The night had been unruly, Theo didn’t have nightmares per se but he kept tossing and turning and Liam never really slept tightly, always keeping his attention on Theo in case the older freaked out.

So now he was in desperate need of coffee and he planned on making breakfast and bringing it to Theo, spoil his boyfriend a bit before he had to face the harsh reality. He carefully slipped out of bed and Theo clung to his pillow and then quietly left the room to walk down into the kitchen.   
His nose was hit with the smell of pancakes and when he walked into the kitchen, the whole pack was already there. Ever was at the stove making pancakes, the others all around the kitchen. They stopped talking when Liam entered and immediately got guilty looks on their faces.

“Liam? We wanted to say sorry. We didn’t react so well last night.” Maya tried first.  
“No, you didn’t.” Liam simply confirmed, face blank. He was still angry at them and his loyalty was currently parted between his Betas and the love of his life.   
“We were shocked and I guess that’s perfectly understandable.” Sadie took over from Maya.  
“It is but that doesn’t mean you should have left him like this.” Liam scolded and his Betas hunched their shoulders in shame.   
“We’re sorry, Lee.” Tim muttered.  
“Don’t tell me this, I’m not the one you should apologize too!”

They looked like kicked puppies and the caring part inside Liam felt bad for them. They obviously felt really sorry about last night.

How sorry they were showed moments later when Theo entered the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks when everyone looked at him. Liam saw the way the chimera’s eyes wandered to the doorway, almost as if he was looking for an escape way. He didn’t talk but eyed the pack with panic in his eyes. It hurt Liam to realize Theo expected a bad reaction from the pack or a punishment. 

Mike was the first to step forward and wrap his arms around Theo. He didn’t say anything but the sheer gesture took Theo completely by surprise. It took a while until he hugged Mike back and when they finally parted Sadie was the next to hug Theo. The whole pack, aside from Liam, hugged Theo one after another with Ever being the last one. 

“We are sorry, big brother. It was just something we never expected and yes it was shocking but we should have cleaned the air and not make you feel like we repulse you or anything.”  
“You are and will forever be our Theo. Our second Alpha and we all trust you with our lives. Can you forgive us?” Tim said Liam was pretty sure there were some puppy eyes thrown into the mix.   
Theo stared at them, still visibly in shock, then he slowly seemed to find his words again. “You guys don’t hate me?”  
“Never did.” Maya said with a smile.  
“So, do you forgive us?” Mike asked and Theo nodded, still overwhelmed. Next moment he was engulfed in a group hug from all Betas and Liam stood there and watched his pack with a soft smile and tears in his eyes. 

“We made blueberry pancakes, your favorite.” Ever told Theo and wiped her eyes. They all looked kind of teary-eyed, especially Theo, who smiled weakly and then walked over to Liam to wrap his arms around him and bury his head in the crook of Liam’s neck. Liam smiled and hugged him back instantly. “I love you.” He muttered into Theo’s ear.  
“I love you too.” Theo muttered back and squeezed him. Liam was just happy everything turned out fine again.

******  
“If you play one more Christmas song, I will kick you out and leave you on the side of the road!” Theo threatened and gripped the steering wheel tighter. “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet, so leave it.”  
“Geez, you’re a real Grinch.” Sadie said and giggled. Theo growled and looked over to Liam in the passenger seat.   
“Why did we had to take the girls with us? I’d rather have the guys in my truck right now.”  
“Hey!” Maya, Ever, and Sadie yelled from the backseat and Liam laughed.   
“It just happened.” He said nonchalantly and turned around to check if Isaac was still following. Nolan in the passenger seat of Isaac’s car saw him and raised his hand to wave. Liam grinned and waved back. While Theo and he had gotten the three girls, Nolan and Isaac were driving with Tim and Mike. Corey and Mason would drive to the lake by themselves and his mother took the train and Bernie had offered to pick her up from the train station since he had some business around. Liam’s dad had to switch shifts with a sick colleague so he wouldn’t attend the Thanksgiving dinner but hopefully would be able to celebrate Christmas with his family. 

Liam now sat back again and looked ahead. It had started snowing slightly but steadily got more the longer they drove. “I can drive too if you want. You worked until late last night after all.” He offered. Theo smiled and took his hand from the gear shift to lace his fingers with Liam’s.   
“It’s okay, baby, I’m not tired.”  
“Maybe you should drink less coffee. Or decaffeinated in that case. You could sleep in the car.” Ever suggested and Theo glanced at her in the rearview mirror.   
“Decaf is for quitters! I don’t quit! I don’t plan on sleeping until we’re there. And I slept last night.”  
“How much? Two hours?”  
“Three.” Theo simply answered, still holding Liam’s hand. “But don’t worry, I have an Alpha who takes care of me.” He said and raised their interlaced hands to press a loving kiss on the back of Liam’s hand. Liam bit his lip and looked out of the window, a blush spreading across his cheeks. Despite him and Theo being in a very committed relationship, he still got abashed by actions like this. It was just so sweet and he saw Theo smirking from the corner of his eyes and heard the girls coo in the background. 

 “But speaking of switching - and no this is not me talking about our Alphas' bedroom activities - I would like to switch the backseat for the seat of a diner to eat something.” Maya suddenly called out and pointedly ignored the look Liam gave her before sticking his tongue out. She laughed and could not refrain from sticking her tongue out too.

“But she’s right, we all haven’t had breakfast yet.” They had left very early to have more time at the lake and so breakfast had suffered. Now, after some time on the road, they all got hungry. So Liam decided they really should stop by the next Diner or fast food restaurant. 

Reaching over he pressed the buttons on the hands-free kit and dialed Isaac’s number. It didn’t take long for him to pick up. “Food?”  
“Yep.” Liam answered.  
“Thank god!”  
“A few more minutes.” Theo said after a sign appeared next to the road. “Can you do that?”

Turned out they could and when the cars stopped in front of the restaurant, they all spilled out of the cars. Liam stretched and was pulled into the restaurant by Isaac who loosely draped his one arm around Liam’s shoulders and the other around Nolan’s and walked in. Finding two tables they could push together and then they ordered their food and soon sat down with all kinds of greasy food.

“So unhealthy.” Sadie said and bit into her bacon burger.   
“Yeah, hence why you have the greasiest stuff on the menu.” Mike shot back and she gave him the finger while chewing.   
Liam chuckled and drank from his milkshake. His other hand rested on Theo’s leg who was quietly sipping yet another coffee and ate his waffles. “You okay?” He asked while going in for a soft kiss. Theo kissed him back and nodded.  
“Guess the coffee’s broken, I’m getting a bit tired. Not too much but I know I won’t stay up late tonight.” The chimera explained and Liam nodded. Theo had been working his ass off lately and he was happy his boyfriend now had a few days to just relax and calm down. And Liam would make sure Theo enjoyed the holidays absolutely.

“Nobody expects you to.” Liam mumbled and kissed Theo again. The older grinned into the kiss and put his arm around Liam to pull him closer to himself their food and drinks long forgotten. It was really easy to blend out everything and just focus on Theo, and so Liam had to blink when they parted for air and everybody was staring at them with amused expressions on their face.

“What?” He asked,  
“You’re making out like horny teenagers.” Isaac said with a grin.   
“Love must be beautiful. You’re so cute.”   
“Jealous?” Theo asked with a raised eyebrow and a cocky grin.  
Isaac shook his head. “Not at all!”

Liam just scoffed and stole a piece of Theo’s waffles. In exchange, Theo got a bit from his burger and Liam leaned against him. Looking outside he noticed it had started to snow more. “Should get going soon. I don’t want the streets to get too snowed in.” He thought out loud and continued eating his burger. Despite the weather, they had to eat. But the others seemed to agree with him because they all managed to eat in record time and then they left the restaurant and piled into the cars again. 

“Brr, it got cold!” Ever complained and huddled into her scarf. She rubbed her hands together and snapped her fingers and the flame on her hands appeared again, instantly warming the whole car. 

“Thank you.” Liam said with a smile and the witch smiled back and nodded while she let her flame dance over her hands. Theo shifted the gear and the truck started moving again. Sadie used it to start yet another Christmas song and Theo groaned when he heard the melody. 

“O’Mara!”

“What? This song is great!” And just because she could, she started singing along with _Santa Baby_.

“First of all, the song is good but if you start to sing along now I will surely leave you here! And secondly, you have to sing this sultrier.” Theo corrected her. “Like this:  _Think of all the fun I've missed, think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed. Next year I could be just as good...if you'd check off my Christmas list_.” He sang the few words in a husky, profligate voice and when nobody said anything about it, he turned his head. Liam gaped at him, just like the girls. “What now?”

“That was....” Maya began.  
“Probably the hottest you ever sounded. Do that again!” Liam exclaimed and Theo laughed. “I’m not a singer, I just have a good ear for melody.”  
“And I’m the queen of motherfucking Narnia.” Maya mumbled behind him. Liam had to agree with her.   
“I didn’t know you could sing at all.”  
“I don’t do it often but my shower head is quite fond of my vocal skills.”  
“I knew you could be vocal but actually having vocal skills? I’m impressed.” Liam complimented him and Ever and Sadie squeaked while Maya laughed. “TMI, Alpha!”  
Theo laughed loudly at that. “Your fault for starting this song!”

“I meant he’s good with words. Get your mind out of the gutter!” Liam innocently said but his grin destroyed the illusion. He had meant it exactly how they understood it and now he reached over to squeeze Theo’s leg.  
“I know which song will be playing in their bedroom from now on.” Maya said thoughtfully and Sadie and Ever squeaked again before laughing.

******  
Liam had slouched in his seat but when he spotted the lake, he immediately sat straight up. He watched the water which appeared frozen glinting in the sun and the forest glistening with snow. A winter wonderland all around with the winter sun shining brightly. It looked amazing!  
“Feels like coming home, hm?” Theo said and Liam nodded enthusiastically. They shared a private smile and then Theo drove into the smaller road leading to the lake. “Are those Christmas lights?”  
Liam laughed. “They are! Look they give us a lead!”   
Theo grinned and followed the street illuminated with colorful lights until they stopped in front of Lana’s and Byron’s cabin. 

The minute Theo turned off the engine, the door flew open and Lana and Byron exited their cabin. Liam climbed out of the truck, barely rounded it and was pulled into a tight hug by Lana.

“Liam, Theo, I am so happy to see you! Welcome back!” She exclaimed and hugged Liam for several moments before letting go in favor of hugging Theo who had hugged Byron first. The two younger ones switched and Liam beamed at Byron. “Gramps!” Byron smiled back and pulled Liam into a tight bear-hug. “My sons, welcome back!”

It was amazing to have them back and talk to Lana and Byron face to face and Liam realized how much he had missed them. They were still as loving and as welcoming as they had been on the first visit and when the pack gathered around them, the former Alpha couple hugged all of them and gave them a warm welcome. 

Lana clapped happily afterward. “Look at all of them, Byron, so mature and so beautiful. Such a strong core pack for such a strong Alpha. We are so proud of you and we can’t wait until you meet the rest of the pack. But now come in, we have hot punch and we can talk a bit before they all arrive.”

She led them inside and they all found a place in the living room and soon they all had a mug with steaming hot punch in hand. Liam needed one look at his Betas faces to see how amazed they were by the warm welcome and they liked it here from the start. Talking to Lana and Byron came as easy to them as it came to Liam and Theo and the young Alpha could lean back, sip his punch and just watch,

And then they heard the squeal of car brakes. “Bernie really needs to get his brakes oiled.” Lana said with a laugh and Liam got up. If Bernie was back that meant his mom was here and Liam was dying to see her.  
He opened the door and ran outside, just as she exited Bernie’s car.

“Mom!”

Liam ran over to her and flung his arms around his mother. She laughed and hugged him back. “Liam, sweetie!” She hugged her son and when he finally let her go, she took his face in her hands. “Look at you, all mature and so grown up. When did you grow up? And you’re growing a beard.” Her thumbs stroke over his cheeks and Liam nodded happily, happy tears in his eyes. He really had not shaved in a few days now.

Theo stepped behind him and Liam’s mom beamed at him just like she did at her son. “You didn’t shave either. Should I call you son-in-law now?” She joked and Theo laughed before hugging her.  
“Only if Liam asks.” He joked back when they parted and she gently punched his chest.  
“He will ask you, I will take care of that!”  
“Mom!” Liam laughed and she reached out to run a hand over his cheek. 

Ilona Geyer had the same sharp facial features as her son but her eyes were grey instead of blue so the only thing Liam got from his biological father were his eyes. Ilona was smaller than her son but she was agile and bubbly and Liam loved her like no other. 

Now he introduced her to his pack. “Mom, those are Maya, Sadie, Tim, Mike, Ever, you already know Nolan, Isaac, Lana, and Byron. Lana and Byron own the cabins around, we met them during our summer vacation.” He introduced them and they all greeted his mom politely. Not only because they had manners but also, even though she had no idea about the supernatural world, she was the Alpha’s mother and so they highly respected her. Lana stepped forward and shook Ilona’s hand. “You have two great boys! They are truly wonderful and they both are very loyal! You did a great job! Especially your son has a very big heart.” She praised and Ilona looked proudly at Liam and Theo.

“That sounds like my boys.” She said, right when Mason’s car stopped behind Bernie’s car. Only a few moments later Mason and Corey got out and were happily greeted by the pack. Liam happily hugged his best friend and Corey as well and then he looked at Theo. “Now that everybody is here, we can have great holidays.” He said. 

Theo smiled and reached out to brush snow out of Liam’s hair. “Right. Maybe we should go inside, it’s getting a bit snowy.” 

“Yes, yes, inside, you’re all wearing no jackets. I don’t want you to get sick!” Ilona shooed them all inside and Liam shared a look with Theo. They both were used to Liam’s mom caring for everyone and now just smiled and rolled their eyes fondly. They were the last ones to step inside and Theo gently pulled him back. “Hey.”

“Hm?” Liam asked and got his answer when he got pulled into a loving kiss. He wrapped his arms around Theo’s waist and smiled at his boyfriend. “I love you.” They said at the same time and again rolled their eyes when everybody else cooed at them. 

“And I was worried this was a joke from you.” Lana teased. Liam shook his head and snuggled closer to Theo. “Not a joke but the best present I will get this year for sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tissues, anybody? *holds out box*  
> The situation between Scott and Liam tapers.  
> Also, I nominate Mike for president! And Nolan as vice-president.  
> Yes, Liam refers to Theo as 'love of his life' in his thoughts already.  
> And they are at the lake, yay. Next chapter we will have the pack celebrating Thanksgiving like the big family they are. I'm excited.


	19. Thanksgiving Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack celebrates Thanksgiving. There are surprises, new perceptions, and lots of love.

“This cabin is beautiful.” Ilona Geyer breathed out when she entered her bedroom, looking around in astonishment. Liam carried his mother’s bag inside the room and smiled.   
“The cabins are all really wonderful.” He agreed with his mother. After Lana had given them the key to their cabin (”The biggest one we have so you all can fit.”) the pack and Liam’s mom had moved into their temporary home. It was really the biggest cabin around, with a big entry hall and the living room right in the middle of the ground floor. The large kitchen was separated from the living room by a smaller wall and located to the left from the front door. You could walk around the living room and take the stairs upstairs where a gallery led all around, with bedrooms on two sides of the hallway. The pack had no problem with fitting in since Mike, Nolan, and Tim shared a room, Mason and Corey did too, the girls had accepted a room together, so Isaac had his own room, as well as Liam’s mom and the Alpha couple. 

“Which cabin did you have last time?” Ilona asked her son while Liam put her bag down next to the bed. Liam looked out of the window. “The one over there, you can see it from your window.” He pointed at it. “It was nice there too, we enjoyed the days we spent there.”

His mother looked at him with a soft smile then she straightened and rubbed his upper arms. “You hold yourself differently.” She stated.  
“I do?” Liam asked with a soft smile.  
She nodded. “You grew up so much since I last saw you. And you hold yourself so much straighter now, more mature and serious. It’s a good look for you.””  
“A lot of things happened, mom.” Liam told her and then he used his chance. “We should have a long talk while you’re here.”  
“Liam, is everything okay? Did something happen?”  
Of course, his mom was immediately worried, that was how she was. Now Liam shook his head. “I’m fine, mom, don’t worry. I just want to fill you in some things you don’t know yet.”

“Well, as long as you don’t happen to tell me you got married without me, it’s fine.”   
“As if I would dare to get married without you being there!”  
“I’m serious, sweetie, if you defraud me of being a hysterical crying mother at her son’s wedding, I will kill you!” Ilona joked and Liam laughed, wrapping his arms around her.   
“Don’t worry, that won’t happen. I want to see you cry hysterically.”   
She snickered and hugged him. “Look at that, you are taller than me. Not only did you mature but you also had a growth spurt!”  
“Well, you’re not that tall to begin with.”  
“Oh you!”

Liam laughed and stepped away when she playfully swatted his chest when there was a knock at the open door. Theo stood there and smiled at them. “Byron’s outside and said he wanted to show us something and all the others will be there too.” He told them. Liam beamed and skipped over to his boyfriend.   
“Sounds great, Let’s go.”   
“Liam, don’t forget your jacket again!” Ilona called from behind him and Liam rolled his eyes with a fond smile but grabbed his jacket from where he had hung it over the banister. He put it on and grabbed Theo’s hand while they walked down the stairs and outside where Byron stood and talked to the others. Like Liam had expected, Mason was bombarding the former Alpha with all kinds of questions and looked like a kid on Christmas Eve. Corey gently pulled his boyfriend back. “We just arrived, Mase. Give Byron a little break.”  
Byron laughed. “Don’t worry, I see his questions as a compliment. It’s good that young people are interested to learn from us elders.”  
“My thoughts exactly. But Mason’s always curious.” Ilona said with a laugh. Byron smiled at her and then held out his arm for Ilona to take while they trudged through the snow. Ilona happily accepted and so Byron led the group to his surprise. Liam and Theo followed directly behind, holding hands and just enjoying the walk while also being curious to find out what Byron wanted to show them.

After bypassing some cabins, they finally stopped in front of a larger wooden building, one Liam had seen last time but never paid much attention to it. He had expected it to be maybe a shed or something but when Byron opened it now, he saw that it was rather a large meeting hall with a gigantic table right in the middle, a large fireplace, and lots of chairs around it. It looked like one of those assembly halls the old Vikings had and he loved it the minute he stepped a foot in.

“The meeting place up the hill is great and all but when the weather is too bad or it’s snowing too much, we can’t be there, so we built this hall. We figured this is where the Thanksgiving dinner could be held as well.” Byron explained to the core pack. They all were gaping at the beauty they stood in, the walls were decorated with colorful blankets and drawings, masks and symbols and the many lamps hanging from the high ceiling cast a warm light all over the place and it wasn’t hard to imagine them all gathering around the table. They surely would fit all without a problem.  
“It’s amazing.” Theo said what they probably were all thinking. Liam smiled at that and nodded. “It surely is.” He said and Byron looked proud.

“We all build it together.”  A voice from the door said and soon enough Cedric and many other pack members filtered into the hall. The meeting between the pack at the lake and the core pack was as heartfelt and warmly as expected. Maya, Tim, and the others were greeted like family members, hugged and kissed and the conversations flowed easily as if they all knew each other since years. And when they realized Ilona was Liam’s mom, they all took the chance to come to her and tell her how amazing Liam was and how proud she could be of her son. Ilona beamed at all of them, shook their hands and hugged them, but she also seemed a bit overwhelmed. Not that she didn’t think of her son as amazing as well but having strangers tell her this and praising Liam like this came unexpectedly. Liam ducked his head and smiled shyly and Theo grinned at him and pulled him in to kiss his cheek ever so often. 

“Don’t be so shy, they’re only telling her the truth.” He muttered into Liam’s ear and gently nibbled on Liam’s earlobe. Liam shuddered and pressed against his boyfriend. “It’s still a bit overwhelming. Do you see her face?” He mumbled back and Theo hugged him. “And she’s insanely proud of you, you can also see that on her face.” He said and kissed Liam’s jaw gently. Liam sighed and melted against the love of his life. Theo was right, his mother basically vibrated and cast happy looks at her son. The young Alpha smiled, Theo was right and seeing his mother looking at him like this, made him happy and proud too.  
He raised his head and kissed Theo. “This will be an amazing Thanksgiving.” 

******  
The pack had kind of dispersed into different directions after they had been led to the meeting hall. Ilona had started a conversation with some other women of the pack about embroidery and crochet and stayed back to watch some of the works the women had done, Mike and Theo were on their way to Bernie’s workshop to carve some wood with him, Corey and Mason had grabbed Nolan and Tim and left to take a walk and Liam and the girls walked back to their cabin to relax a bit. Liam was inspecting the kitchen and peeling some oranges Valerie had bought them. They all would meet later to eat together but for now, he needed some fruity snack. 

He walked upstairs with a bowl of peeled oranges and passed the girls on the first floor. Maya and Sadie were outside the room, door open,  Ever inside the room the girls shared and she screamed before gesticulating at Maya and Sadie. “Your turn!”  
Sadie screamed back and Liam raised an eyebrow, stepped closer. “Should I be concerned?” He asked.  
“Ever is trying out a new spell and we’re helping her.” Maya told him.  
Liam put a slice of orange into his mouth. “Explain.” He prompted while he chewed. Ever stretched and plucked something from the wall and then she stepped out on the hallway as well, holding a small white dreamcatcher in her hand.   
“It’s a silence spell. I tried to enchant the dreamcatcher that when it hangs over the door it filters all noises from inside the room so they don’t get out. Living in a house full of wolves with enhanced hearing can be slightly difficult and annoying and we all want our privacy every now and then, right? The couples especially or do you want the rest of us hearing you and Theo moan and gasp?”  
Liam wrinkled his nose. “Not really.”  
“See? That’s why I enchanted this dreamcatcher and now we need to test it out.”  
“If this works, the dreamcatcher doesn’t let any noises out of the room, but what about the noise from outside the room? I mean, this is a great idea, but if we are inside our room and we don’t hear anybody calling us or whatever that could be problematic.” Liam said thoughtfully.  
“Oh no, I only enchanted it onesided. You hear what’s happening outside but nobody hears what’s happening inside.”

Liam could not lie, he really liked the idea. The pack knew he and Theo had sex but that didn’t mean he needed them to hear it every single time. The nineteen-year-old was possessive over the sounds his partner made during those times, only he was allowed to hear them and when Ever’s idea worked he would totally thank her on his knees for that. 

“Maybe you should close the door if you really want to test it.” He amusedly said and she punched his shoulder but grinned. “Such a genius! But come on, now that you’re here, you can help.”  
She pulled him into the room and closed the door after them. Hanging the dreamcatcher over the door again, she cleared her throat then she screamed. Liam pressed his hands over his ears. “That was loud for sure.” He mumbled. "And we still heard you!” Sadie called from outside and Ever groaned in annoyance. “Dammit!”  
Liam reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Hey, you will manage to make it work in the end. I know you will.” He encouraged her and she smiled.  
“Thank you, Lee.”   
“You’re ever so welcome.” He opened the door. “But hey, I still haven’t talked to mom yet so if she comes back, keep it down, okay? She is very open-minded, but she for sure would be irritated to see the three of you screaming at the door.” He grinned and the girls saluted. “Aye, Alpha!”

Liam grinned and left them to their experiments before wandering in his and Theo’s room. Lana had said the pack had planned a welcome dinner in the evening and when the core members offered help they were told that everything was taken care off and they just should attend. Tomorrow they could help prepare the Thanksgiving dinner but for tonight, they were the guests. And so Liam had some free time and when Theo joined him later on, the two curled on the bed and just cuddled. 

“Any idea when you’re going to tell your mom?” Theo inquired while he stroke through Liam’s hair. The chimera leaned against the headboard, legs stretched, and Liam leaned against him, head in Theo’s lap and looked up at him.   
“I want to do it tomorrow. Today we’re all arriving here and everyone’s getting to know each other so I don’t want to blurt it out. But tomorrow everyone is a bit more settled and we can do it before dinner. If she abandons me, only one and a half day would be destroyed instead of three days.”  
“Hey.” Theo stroke over Liam’s forehead. “Don’t even start that! Don’t think about it going wrong. Your mom loves you and the pack praises you so much so it’s the best preparation you can have. She will understand it.” He said and looked down at Liam. Liam smiled and leaned up to kiss him.   
“What would I do without you supporting and encouraging me?”  
“Live a miserable life.” Theo mocked him but then kissed him sweetly again and Liam chuckled into the kiss.  
“Conceited asshole.”  
“Yeah, love you too, Emerson.” 

******  
Laughter filled the air while they all sat gathered around the table. They had eaten dinner and now all sat together, talked and laughed. Cedric and Valerie were currently telling some funny jokes and the whole group erupted into laughter when thy finished one. It was still snowing outside, not as bad as it had been earlier but still a few soft flakes falling down, but the fireplaced gave enough warmth to be comfortable and cozy.

Mason and Corey shared a look and then Mason cleared his throat. “We have something to tell you, guys.” He said and soon enough every talk died down and everybody was watching them.  
“At the start of the next semester, we will move to Seattle.” Mason declared and that was nothing Liam would have expected.   
“What, really?” Nolan asked, just as surprised as Liam.  
It was Corey who answered this time and nodded. “We talked about it and realized very fast we have no problem with transferring. Our classes are also available at Seattle and we don’t want to be separated from you guys. We have calls and video chats and texts but it’s not the same as when we’re here. We want to be with all of you, during the good times and the bad times and not have to drive back home and leave you with a mess.” He was hinting the Alpha problem and Liam nodded. He smiled warmly.  
“You are welcome to move into the house.” He invited them and Mason and Corey nodded happily.   
“Are you all okay with this?” They asked the rest of the core pack.  
“It will be great to have you guys around.” Mike said with a nod. “And Liam already invited you, so we will all agree anyway.”   
They all laughed but in the end, it was true. The Alpha had spoken and even though Liam listened to his pack, in the end, they respected his decisions. And it would really be great to have Mason and Corey there too forever. Ilona looked a bit surprised by Mike’s answer but for now, she expected it that her son was obviously the decision maker in the group.

Liam leaned back in his chair, letting his eyes travel over the people around him and he smiled. His mother had found a new friend in Lana and the two women talked a lot about each and everything, mostly shared interests and such, but now the former Alpha’s mate looked at Liam and winked at the new Alpha. Liam got it and nodded and then Lana clapped her hands.

“Everybody, what do you say about a night walk? It’s a perfect atmosphere outside with the soft snow and it would be a shame to waste this. So ho hop.” 

She didn’t even wait for anybody to disagree but shooed anybody outside. Theo sighed but he followed, taking Liam’s hand again. Liam, who had heard the sigh, turned his head to give him a questioning look.   
“What’s wrong?” He inquired while some pack members went to grab some lanterns for the hike.    
“It was so cozy in there, why do we need to get up now?” He half-heartedly complained but still followed. Liam snickered and pressed a kiss against Theo’s cheek. “Don’t be a grump, it will be fun.”  
“Not when I’m starting to get tired.” Theo still complained but then Liam started to swing their interlaced hands back and forth and Theo chuckled and stopped complaining in favor of enjoying the walk with the rest of the pack. 

And it was really nice. The snow made the forest look so peaceful and the lanterns illuminated everything so warmly, it was just heavenly. The hike stopped at the meeting place on top of the hill and they looked down at the lake glistening in the moonlight and the winter wonderland beneath them. 

“This is truly beautiful.” Ever said but pulled her beanie lower when her ears got colder. Liam smiled at her and then looked over his shoulder at Mike. The young Beta caught his glance and Liam nodded curtly again. Mike tugged at Maya’s elbow and together they sneaked away from the group with a few others and without anybody noticing.  

Liam himself wrapped both arms around Theo and kissed his cheek again. “I’m happy to have you here with me.” He mumbled and Theo chuckled softly.   
“Last time we were here, we were just friends and I wanted nothing more than to kiss you. Now we’re back and I am happy because I can do that!” And to prove his point, he kissed Liam, tugging on his lower lip with his teeth and Liam moaned into the kiss.   
“Really? Making out now when you can enjoy the view?” Tim teased and Nolan snickered in the background and both Alphas raised their hands and gave them both the finger.   
“Boys!” Mrs. Geyer scolded and everybody started laughing, even herself after a while. 

Liam and Theo broke away from their kiss and just hugged each other, doing what Tim had suggested: They enjoyed the view and being close to each other. Liam noticed Sadie checking the time and then pretending to shiver. “This is all fine and I really love the view, I probably made more Instagram pictures than I could count, but I’m starting to freeze my butt off. Can we go back to the meeting hall?”  
“I was starting to get worried about you all. You’re running around in just your sweaters, no jackets, while it’s freezing out there.” Ilona said thoughtfully. “Good to know at least one of you has a decent feeling for temperature.”  
“Oh, mom.” Liam put one arm around his mother’s shoulders while they walked back. “Don’t worry so much about us, okay? We’re fine.”  
“Yeah, yeah, and who takes care of you when you’re back at Seattle and sick?”  
“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Ever said. “We’re all pretty robust.”  
“That’s one way to put it.” Tim said and smiled innocently.

Theo scoffed but then put one arm around Tim’s shoulder who pulled Ever and Nolan along and so they walked in one big line back to the cabins. Theo stopped when the rest of the group pulled away and was on their way towards the meeting hall. “I think I will hit the sack now. I’m really tired.”  
“Aw no, come on, one last drink!” Liam whined and pulled at his hand.   
“Liam, it’s already a few minutes past midnight and I only slept three hours last night. Cut me some slack and stop with the puppy dog eyes.”  
Liam tugged at Theo’s hand again. “Please! One last drink!”  
Theo looked at him for several moments then he let out a deep sigh. “Okay, fine! One drink. One, puppy!”

Liam rejoiced and the couple wandered over to the meeting hall. The others had already walked over and some were inside, others were waiting outside for them, eager expressions on their face and smiling secretively. Liam stopped in front of the building and let go of Theo’s hand and turned around to face Theo. The chimera stopped walking and eyed Liam warily. “What?”

“You know we’re here to celebrate Thanksgiving and that’s all fine but we also have something else to celebrate. And since you already stated, it’s a few minutes past midnight. Which means...” Liam began and when he stopped the door behind him flung open and the rest of the pack was there, under a colorful banner with **HAPPY BIRTHDAY** written on it. “Happy Birthday, Theo!” They all chorused and Theo’s jaw dropped.

 He stared at the banner and at his pack, the people he loved, who smiled at him and cheered and he blinked. Liam stepped closer and took Theo’s hand again. “You didn’t think we forgot your birthday, did you?”  
“You usually talk about it all the time but this year you said nothing, so I thought. You know I’m not a big birthday guy.”  
“Yeah, this year I...we wanted to surprise you. So, surprise!” He waved his free hand in an over the top gesture and made Theo laugh.   
“You have no idea how hard it is to plan a surprise for you. Thank god for our pack here.” Ever told him.  
“We know you are not keen on having a big party so we thought to keep it simple and quiet. But we got you presents.” Bernie told Theo and pulled the now twenty-two-year-old into the hall and towards the table where many presents were placed. Theo swallowed. Even after all those years, he had a hard time believing people actually wanted him to have a nice birthday and give him presents. And those were a lot of presents.

“Guys, this is too much!” But nobody was having it.   
“Stop being so modest and start opening them. This is your great day.” Lana said and Theo didn’t even try to discuss this with her. So he really started to open all his presents. He got a brand new handmade skateboard from Bernie, several shirts and a jacket he had wanted for so long, tickets for a band he liked, books, a new sketchbook and pencils, and several other gifts, and then he finally reached the last gift which was Liam’s. It was smaller, flat and square and Theo looked at Liam who smiled softly at his boyfriend. Mason nudged Theo.   
“Open it up, man, it’s too large to hold an engagement ring, so no worries.”  
“Mason.” Corey sighed and pulled his boyfriend back. “Remember the talk we had about saying everything that comes to your mind? Don’t!”

Liam had sighed at his best friend’s words and now worried his lower lip. He was anxious about his gift for Theo and his heart was beating louder and louder the longer it took Theo to open the damn box. It had been on his mind for so long and he really, really hoped Theo would like it. 

Theo now opened the present and revealed a dark brown leather cuff bracelet with patterns engraved on it. The patterns started with several undefined lines at one side of the bracelet and then lead towards the middle where a running wolf was engraved and then led further around until they ended in two paw prints, one slightly larger than the other. “Wolf and coyote.” Liam explained while Theo checked the bracelet and traced the engraved lines. “I actually have the counterpart.” He pulled the same bracelet out of his pocket and put it on.

“And don’t forget the best part.” Ever mentioned and took the bracelet from Theo to turn it around and let Theo see the inside of the bracelet where _I love you_ flashed in golden letters.

“Oh my dear god, Liam, this is beautiful.” Ilona said, touched by this heartfelt gift. Liam smiled gratefully at her but then turned his focus back to Theo. The chimera was still looking at the bracelet. There was so much more to the bracelet than what you saw on the first glance and he was impatient to tell Theo all about it in private. This was something he only wanted to share with his beloved but when Theo just stared at it and said nothing, Liam suddenly worried it was too less. He had something else for Theo but this was also private and not for everyone. later on yes, but he wanted it to be only the two of them when he gave it Theo first. 

 He had been so lost in his thoughts, he had not noticed Theo wrapping the bracelet around his wrist and stepping closer to Liam. Only when he felt soft fingers under his chin that made him look up, he noticed his boyfriend. Theo smiled at him. “I love you and this is the best birthday gift I ever got. It’s beautiful. Thank you so much.” He said and kissed Liam. Liam wrapped his arms around Theo’s waist and kissed him back with all his heart, hearing the people around them cheer. 

When Theo finally pulled away, he leaned his forehead against Liam’s. “Thank you.” He mumbled and then, to all of them, he said it louder. “Thank you, guys, this is great. I really didn’t expect this, you took me by surprise.”  
“You deserve it.” Cedric called out and everybody cheered for that. It was true and it led to them sitting together and celebrating Theo in the best way possible. No big party but just the pack together and Liam felt happier than ever. The whole time he and Theo stuck together, constantly touching each other and kissing every once in a while and when they finally stumbled into their room two hours later, they were both tired but happy. Ever smiled at them and pressed the dreamcatcher in Liam’s hand. “It works?” Liam asked with a smile and she smirked and winked before disappearing into her room. Liam chuckled and followed Theo into their room where he closed the door and hung the dream catcher above it. 

“I have to tell you something about our bracelets.” Liam muttered when he then turned around, wrapped his arms around Theo’s neck and kissed Theo’s jaw.  
“Hm?” Theo asked and ran his hands over Liam’s back.   
“Ever helped me with it, that’s why she knew about the letters on the inside but I couldn’t tell you with mom around.”

He pulled away and led Theo onto the bed where they sat down. The moon was shining through the windows and illuminated them perfectly to give them enough light paired with their supernatural abilities to see what they were doing. Liam took their bracelets off and turned them around so Theo could see the letters on the insight. 

“It not only says _I love you_.” Liam began and right when he said it, the letters changed and suddenly _It’s a connection between us_ appeared. Theo’s eyes widened.   
“Okay, whoa, how did you do that?”  
“Ever enchanted it. It’s a connection between the bracelets and in extent between us two. It’s not a complete telepathic link but it displays some of our thoughts and we can communicate with each other. I wanted something to show you how much you mean to me. It’s not the only thing I have for you but I wanted to show you this first.” He gave Theo his bracelet back, putting his own back on, and the birthday boy looked at his and the golden letters started to arrange themselves again. 

_You are everything to me._

Liam smiled and kissed Theo lovingly. “You are everything to me too.” He felt Theo smile against his lips and chuckled happily. Damn, this man made him so happy. Which brought him to the second gift he had for Theo. But different than the bracelet it wasn’t something he could materially give Theo. 

Liam moved closer to Theo when the chimera put his bracelet on and looked at him. “I said I have another present for you and this is true. Now, Theo, I love you with all my heart, you are literally everything to me. I know us dating is still fresh and new and I don’t want to pressure you into anything but I’ve been in love for you for years and for years I have been fantasizing about this, being with you, kissing you, and so much more. The reality now is even better and it made me sure of one thing.”   
He knelt on the bed now and took Theo’s face in his hands. “I don’t want anybody else but you. No more dating others, no more flirting with others, no more detours. You are everything I want and I want to belong to you forever. You already have my heart and I never want it back. So, Theo Raeken, will you be my mate?” 

Theo looked at him, hazel eyes sparkling in the moonlight and shimmering with love and happiness. He had his arms wrapped around Liam and even though his eyes were full of love, he also looked surprised. But then this huge grin broke out and lit up his entire face and Liam could not help but smile back in return. This alone was enough answer and Theo didn’t have to verbally answer but he did it anyway.

“Yes. I want nothing more than that. Liam, I love you with everything I have. I want to be your mate, want to belong to you and you to belong to me. More than anything.” He pulled Liam into a deep kiss and Liam’s hands wandered from his cheeks into his neck. They kissed and Theo bit down on Liam’s lower lip, pulling at it and making Liam moaned slightly. Theo’s hands found their way under Liam’s shirt and stroke it upward. They only stopped kissing so he could pull it over Liam’s head and throw it away. Liam used it to do the same with Theo’s shirt and also threw that piece of garment behind them. 

They settled into a lying position, Liam on top of Theo, and he kissed Theo deep and passionate while his hand stroke over Theo’s abs and to his belt to open it up. Nibbling at Theo’s lower lip, Liam licked over the teased flesh while his hand had opened Theo’s jeans and slipped inside to cup his growing bulge through his boxers. Theo gasped into the kiss and bit down on Liam’s lip in retaliation. Now it was Liam who gasped and pressed closer to Theo, hand never stop groping his partner’s dick.   
Theo pushed against his hand and his own hand dipped on Liam’ ass and groped him, causing a groan from Liam. His own cock was straining against his jeans and he rutted against Theo to get some kind of friction. Both moaned this time and Theo rolled them around. His lips latched at Liam’s neck and left a hickey there which was fading the next second but Theo didn’t care at the moment and peppered kisses all over Liam’s neck and Liam tilted his head to the side to give Theo more room to kiss the skin. His head was already fuzzy with lust and he gripped Theo’s jeans to pull them down. Theo raised his hips to help Liam discard them and throw them to the floor.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” He mumbled against Liam’s jaw and kissed it while he swiftly opened Liam’s jeans as well and pulled them down alongside his boxers. Liam chuckled and moved his legs to help Theo get his pants off as fast as possible. And just because he could, he gripped Theo’s boxer briefs and pulled them down too so there was really no disturbing item of clothing between them and he could feel his lover the way he desired the most. 

Liam took advantage of their clothing finally gone and stroke over Theo’s back., his ass, his chest, his thighs, everything he could reach. Featherlight touches, leaving goosebumps in their wake and Theo shuddered. “Fuck, you’re barely touching me and it still feels amazing.” He mumbled and Liam grinned.  
“It’s great to know I can drive you insane like this. Because just being so close to you is driving me insane, Dore.” He replied and sucked on Theo’s earlobe, causing the chimera to gasp. His hand stroke over Theo’s hard cock again, smearing the precum glistening at the tip. Theo grunted and his own hand found its way to Liam’s dick, pumping him lazily. Liam moaned at the feeling and thrust into the strong hand around his shaft. 

They rolled around once again, Liam sitting up and admiring the work of art called his boyfriend. Theo looked so good, lying on the sheets, body lightly flushed and eyes dark with lust. Liam’s eyes flashed red at the took in his boyfriend’s appearance and Theo’s heart skipped a beat when he saw it, clearly liking this reaction from his Alpha.

He sat up too and took Liam’s hand, pulling him closer. Liam followed without any resistance and straddled Theo’s lap. Hooking his arms around Theo’s neck, he looked his partner deep into the eyes and Theo smiled, gently nudging Liam’s nose with his while he went for a quick peck on his full lips and then raised two fingers to stroke over Liam’s kiss-swollen lips. Liam eagerly parted his lips, all the while staring into Theo’s eyes. He sucked on one of Theo’s fingers, causing the chimera to moan lewdly. His tongue danced around the digit and soon sucked on the second finger as well.  
“That’s it, get them nice and wet, baby.” Theo muttered, voice already hoarse with arousal and Liam groaned around his fingers, cock throbbing with want when he heard this sexy sound. He followed Theo’s words, sucking the fingers until Theo found them wet enough and pulled them out. He grabbed Liam’s ass with his other hand and pulled him closer, making Liam groan in surprise and pleasure when he was pressed against Theo’s hard body. And then Liam moaned even louder when the two fingers he had slicked up circled his hole and then pushed past his rim.

It was unusual to feel two fingers right from the start but Theo was very skilled in moving them inside Liam, preparing him and soon the young Alpha mewled and gasped in pleasure, pushing against them. “Theo...please, Theo...” His fingers felt up Theo’s shoulders without really grabbing them, already too lost in pleasure. Theo smirked and his eyes flashed gold and then he started to fuck Liam with two fingers. The younger moaned loudly (thank god for Ever’s spell) and he leaned his forehead against Theo’s shoulder while he started to fuck back against the fingers inside him. They continued this until Theo found Liam lose enough and retracted his fingers. Liam moaned at the loss but then Theo captured his lips in a passionate kiss and Liam melted against his strong lover. 

When they broke the kiss to take some deep breaths, Liam spat in his hand and wrapped it around Theo’s hard dick to lube him up. Theo moaned when Liam pumped him a few times and continued until he was fully satisfied with the result. 

When he raised his head again, Theo looked at Liam, eyes filled with passion and love for his boyfriend, and iris the color of molted gold again. Liam’s own eyes flashed deeply red and he looked just as fondly as Theo as the older did. Theo had one arm wrapped around him and now raised his other to gently run his thumb over Liam’s upper lip and the fangs poking out. 

“Mark me, Alpha. I want to belong to you.” He said lovingly, all the while he kept looking deep into Liam’s eyes. Liam shivered at the sincere tone of his Beta’s voice, then he wrapped both arms around Theo’s neck again and pulled him closer. His heart was thrumming in anticipation and then he finally bit down on the juncture between Theo’s shoulder and his neck; his fangs pierced the skin and he tasted the blood seeping from the bite. Theo moaned loudly and pushed his cock right into Liam’s prepared hole while his Alpha marked him. Liam would have gasped but he was too occupied with marking Theo’s skin and leaving his claim.

When he pulled back, however, he could not help to rock back against the hard length inside him and clench around it. And this time he moaned just as loud as Theo before. The chimera’s eyes were basically blazing and he thrust inside Liam, making Liam’s whole body shake. He ran his fingers through the hair in the back of Theo’s neck and licked over the mating bite clearly visible on Theo’s skin. His mark, his claim. Theo was his!

His kisses wandered to Theo’s ear and he licked the earlobe. “Now come on, mark me, my first Beta. Make me yours, Theo!” He teased and Theo groaned. He still fucked into Liam and Liam lazily pushed back but Theo pulled him closer again and his fangs grazed the skin in Liam’s shoulder and neck. And then suddenly they pierced the skin on the same spot Liam had bitten him too and Liam screamed. Pleasure and pain were exploding inside him and for a short moment, it felt like the whole universe had stopped to make him bathe into this feeling. It was overwhelming to say and he whimpered but then the pain subsided and even more pleasure flooded his body. All nerves aligned and concentrated on Theo, and only Theo. His crucial point of anything; the love of his life and now his mate. Their bond was sealed; they belonged together now for all eternity. Nothing could break them apart anymore.

Liam had not really noticed him starting to move but when Theo pulled back from the bite and licked over it to seal the wound, Liam snapped back into reality and he realized what he was doing. He moaned and then Theo reached up, cupped his face, and pulled him into a messy and hot kiss. Their tongues danced around each other and they could taste each other’s blood but they didn’t care. They needed to love, kiss, touch, each other right this very minute. 

He had expected Theo to be fine with Liam riding him but suddenly the birthday boy grabbed his hips and turned them around and Liam found himself with his back on the mattress and Theo above him. The chimera grinned smugly at Liam’s surprised gasp when Theo’s dick moved inside him, steadied himself on the mattress and started to fuck into Liam, hard and fast. Liam gasped again and wrapped one leg around Theo’s waist. Theo had a grip on his other leg and even with his advanced healing that would leave a bruise but Liam loved it. He loved the touches, the grabbing, he loved the hard fast pace his mate was going for right now. With a loud moan, Liam raked his claws over Theo’s back and the twenty-two-year-old hissed and thrust even harder into Liam. Ever had the right idea to give Liam the enchanted dreamcatcher because with how loud they were right now, they would have wakened up the whole house. Liam loved it! Had the sex with Theo been great before, it now felt phenomenal; deeper and more intense than ever before. His mating bite throbbed and made him hot all over and he moaned and thrashed beneath Theo. He wasn’t even touching himself and he was still on the verge of coming. It was rare Liam ever came untouched but with Theo it was possible.

Theo himself moaned Liam’s name like a mantra and Liam never found his name sounding sexier than coming from his mate right now. His grip was the right amount of pain and at the same time, grounding and Liam loved it. His claws left marks on Theo’s back and he felt Theo’s claws pierce his thigh but both were far too gone to care. And then suddenly Liam threw his head back and screamed Theo’s name when his orgasm hit him and he coated their stomachs with his release. He clenched around Theo and that pushed the chimera over the edge and he spilled deep inside Liam. Liam gasped and then closed his eyes, content with just lying here and catching his breath. Theo collapsed on top of him and Liam could not even raise his arm to wrap around Theo, he was too spent. 

Theo managed to move after quite a while, pulled out, and rolled next to Liam. “Fuck! That was intense!” He panted and Liam nodded, running a hand through his sweaty hair. “You could say that. That was wow!”

Theo laughed and turned his head to look at Liam just when Liam turned his head too. They looked at each other and smiled. “I love you, Liam.” Theo said and stroke a few strands of hair out of Liam’s eyes. 

“I love you too, Theo.” Liam replied and put his hand over Theo’s when it stopped at his cheek. Theo rolled on his side and watched Liam and the young Alpha mimicked the position. They looked at each other, smiling all the time, and then Liam reached out and stroke over the mating bite on Theo’s neck. He smiled proudly and Theo chuckled before scooting closer to Liam and kissing him deeply. “My mate.” He muttered against Liam’s lips and Liam almost melted at that. “Your mate and yours only.” He kissed back with all the love and passion he had for Theo and then snuggled as close to Theo as he could with the older wrapping both arms around him. They closed their eyes and soon fell asleep, wrapped around each other and happier than ever.

******  
Liam left the bathroom when he almost collided with Maya. It was relatively early in the morning so the others were probably still asleep and she looked half awake too and now rubbed her eyes like a little kid. “Morning.”  
“Morning.” Liam said with a smile. “Had a good night?”  
“Yeah, what about you?” She yawned and ran a hand through her hair and then she stretched, looking a bit more awake afterward.

“Mine was pretty good too.” Liam tried not to smirk but he failed. The night had been fantastic and he was still so happy about the aspect of being mated to Theo. Maya saw his grin, saw his eyes sparkling with happiness and then her eyes landed on the mating bite. Liam probably should have gotten dressed better than just in his pajama pants but since he had planned on going back to bed and cuddle close to Theo again, he had thought this would do. Now Maya looked like a little kid and beamed at him, “No way!”  
Liam nodded. “Last night but we don’t want to make such a big deal about it since we have other things we also need to talk about this Thanksgiving.”  
“Liam, you can’t expect me to hide this from the others.”  
“I don’t want you to hide it, I’m just saying we don’t need a big announcement and such. We’re mated, it’s absolutely fantastic, but given that my mom, for example, has no idea about the whole werewolf thing, I’m not sure she would understand what mated means at the moment.”  
“Okay, yeah, you’re right. But still, congratulations. This is awesome and I’m pretty sure it’s one of the best birthday gifts Theo ever got.”  
Liam smiled shyly. “I hope so.” He said.  
“It is.” Theo had woken up and left their shared room. He smiled at Maya and Liam and then pulled Liam close for a kiss. “Good Morning, my beloved mate.”   
Liam smiled. “Good Morning and Happy Birthday again, my handsome mate.”

“Aw, aren’t you sweet? But I would recommend getting dressed before Liam’s mom sees you like this, The bites are pretty prominent and for someone who knows nothing about wolves, they look disturbing.”  
Liam and Theo shared a look and then nodded. She was totally right and Theo gave Liam one last kiss before disappearing into the bathroom and Liam walked back into the bedroom. He decided to get dressed now and then make a plan on how to tell his mom about everything.

******  
Despite Liam trying to prepare himself for this talk, he was nervous as hell when he finally walked up to his mom after breakfast. They had time before they would start preparing Thanksgiving dinner with the rest of the pack and so Liam wanted to use the time now. His mom had found a seat in front of the large windows at the gallery of the first floor. She could look outside if she wanted but was currently reading. 

“Mom, do you have a minute?” Liam asked. Theo stood behind him, being his supporter and since he also lived with the Geyers it was only fair he was part of this talk.  
Ilona put her book aside and nodded. “Sure, what’s wrong, honey?”  
Liam sat on the chair across his mother and Theo next to him. “I need to tell you something. It will sound strange and maybe you think I’m lying to you or pranking you or that I have lost my mind. I’m not, everything I’m telling you is true and I need you to listen until I’m finished. Okay?”  
“Okay.” Ilona agreed immediately. 

“Okay.” Liam took a deep breath. “When I transferred to Beacon Hills High I had my first Lacrosse practice and I got into an accident, you know that. I was sent to the hospital and dad took care of me and all. When I was alone in the room, I heard some sounds outside and got curious, so I went to investigate. What I found was a boy who had gutted another person and was eating him. I’ve never seen something scarier in my life at this point because that thing wasn’t human. And when he saw me, he attacked me. He dragged me to the roof of the hospital and he wanted to kill me too but luckily Scott McCall interfered and saved my life. But to save my life, he had to bite me.” Liam took another deep breath. “Scott McCall is a werewolf, an Alpha werewolf to say the least. That means if he bites somebody, they also become a werewolf. Which means I also turned into a werewolf and became part of Scott’s pack.”

“Liam...”Ilona started but Theo gently shooed her. “Let him talk.” He said softly and she actually listened.  
Liam continued. “Since that day me and my pack, they all are more or less supernatural. Scott’s a werewolf. Lydia is a Banshee, Malia is a coyote, Corey is a chameleon. And Theo is a chimera, part wolf, and part coyote.” He looked at Theo who reached over and took his hand in his.”We fight any bad supernatural creatures that come into town and we try to protect the citizens of Beacon Hills. You have heard about those hunters in town a few years ago? The shooting in the hospital?”  
Ilona nodded, eyes wide and shining with tears. “Don’t tell me....”  
“We were there. They tried to kill us. Because they think we all, all supernaturals, are evil. There is so much more I have to tell you, I can give you the whole story, but this is the basic. I am a werewolf and I don’t want to hide this from you and dad anymore.” Liam wasn’t good with words, so blurting it out was his best strategy. He had no better approach than this.

Liam looked at his mother who said nothing and he grew anxious, panic rising in his chest. “Mom, please say something! Anything! Please!”  
“This is...Liam, you can’t be serious!”  
Liam looked at his mom and then raised his hand. Claws extracted and his fangs grew while his eyes flashed. Theo next to him had shifted too and Ilona’s eyes widened. “I am dead serious, mom!”

She stared at him. “Why wouldn’t you say anything to me or your dad? Why did you hide this? There were people shooting at you! And you!” She pointed at Theo. “How could you two not say anything?”  
“Because it happened after I trashed my coach’s car! I couldn’t have lived with you looking at me like I’m a monster again!” Liam told his mother and the thought alone made tears well up in his eyes. Ilona stared at him, lips trembling, and then she reached out and grasped his hands in hers.   
“Liam, when you trashed your coach’s car, I was mad at you, angry, sad. But I never thought of you as a monster! You are my son, Liam, I love you!”  
“I was so afraid you thought of me like....” Lim cut off and shook his head.   
“Liam, you are not your father. You are not Emmet! He acted like a monster but you are not him!” She squeezed his hands and now she was crying too, that her son could think something like this. “And I will never think of you as a monster! Not because of your anger issues and not because of you are a werewolf. Though I can’t say I ever expected my son to say something like this.” Her laugh was watery. “But werewolf, weresheep or just normal guy, Liam Emerson Dunbar, you are my son and I couldn’t be prouder of you than I am!” 

Liam flung his arms around his mom at this and hugged her tight and when she embraced him back and hugged him just as tight, he laughed too but he was also crying because she reacted even better then he had dared to hope. Theo watched them with a smile. And when mother and son finally parted, Ilona stroke over Theo’s cheek. “You, both of you, can always come to us and tell us everything, okay? We will never kick you out or abandon you.”  
“To be honest, you react a lot cooler than I expected.” Liam confessed and his mother glanced at him. “All the years I felt something was going on with you. I thought it was your sexuality at first, but then you came out as bisexual and there was still something. I know you better than anybody else, Liam, I know when you’re hiding something. And all those years, I told myself whenever you finally come clean, I would accept you. So here I am.”   
“You are literally the coolest mother ever!” Liam praised her. 

Theo nudged him. “Lee, you already told her that, now come on, tell her the whole story.”  
“Ah, we still have time.” Liam declined but Ilona made a curious sound. “I want the whole story!”  
When Liam didn’t elaborate, Theo took over. “You see my eyes are gold. That’s like the default colors of all werewolves. Other species have different colors but that would lead too far now. Anyway, every freshly bitten werewolf or born werewolf has gold eyes, the color of the Betas. When a were takes an innocent life, their eyes become blue. But Liam here has red eyes. Only Alphas have red eyes. Liam turned from a Beta to an Alpha.”

“Alpha? I distinctively remember biology in school. An Alpha is...”  
“The leader.” Sadie said. Liam, Theo, and Ilona turned to face them and the whole core pack stood there. The blonde smiled. “The Alpha is the leader of the pack. He’s like a father, like a big brother, he provides for his Betas and protect them, reigns them in if needed, and leads the way. Liam is our Alpha.”  
“We all are one pack, we as we’re standing here and all people living here at the lake. They are all werewolves and we all belong to the Morning Dew Pack which Liam leads.” Mason explained further. Ilona gasped. “Liam!” She said, completely shocked when she realized how many people were actually led by her son. Liam shrugged shyly. 

Ilona rubbed her forehead. “I have a million questions now.”  
“Can’t be as many as Mason had when he found out.” Liam teased and Mason scoffed while everybody else laughed.  
“Mason, you’re a werewolf too?” Ilona now asked and he shook his head. “Human, like Nolan. And Ever somehow.”  
“Somehow?” Ever asked with a raised eyebrow.   
“Well, you’re also a witch, so you are on the border.”   
“Witches are real too? No, don’t answer! Rather tell me what **isn’t** real.” Ilona demanded. “Hell, we’re still figuring that out ourselves.” Corey mumbled. “This is not exactly scientific.”  
Ilona tried to make sense of all this. “I see. Wait, you are a chameleon? What does that entail?”  
Corey answered by turning invisible and then appearing again and Ilona gaped. “Now, that is useful.”  
 “Sometimes.” Corey mumbled with a shy smile.  
“And you all are one pack?”  
“We are.” Mike answered this time. “And it’s all thanks to Liam and Theo.”  
And if Liam had thought his mother looked proud before, it was nothing compared to how she looked now. 

******  
The Thanksgiving dinner was one of the best, if not even the best, Liam ever took part of. They were all laughing and chatting and since his mom now knew about the supernatural, the conversation was even easier. He still blushed whenever someone told Ilona how great Liam as an Alpha already was and Theo always laughed at him but then kissed his mate and told him he loved Liam and they were all right and he was just as proud. 

When the food was gone and they were all still sitting there and talking in smaller groups, Liam walked over to Mason and put one arm around him. “We haven’t got to talk to each other and have real best friends talk since you arrived. Come on, let’s go for a walk.” He said and pulled Mason along. They grabbed their coats and then left the meeting hall. The snow crunched under their shoes and Liam smiled at Mason. “I can’t believe you’re really moving to Seattle.”

Mason chuckle. “Me neither but it is the right decision.”  
“Did you feel pressured by us? I have to ask you this.”

“No! You made us feel as included as possible but there only so much you can do when we’re miles apart. See, when we felt the pack bond, Corey immediately said ‘We have to go to Seattle, we have to be there’ and that’s why we came. I’m just human, I can’t do much, but I felt bad when the Alpha showed up and we had to drive back home and leave you to it. Then you got the house and Theo and you got together and we felt like spectators. We both are not happy with where we are now. Now just because of you but because of various things. We miss you guys, so really moving is the best decision we can make. And transferring was really easy.”

Liam hugged Mason. “I can’t wait til you’re finally there. It will be great to have you constantly around.”  
“Thanks, man.” Mason smiled widely at Liam and hugged him back. “Corey can’t wait either. He’s all excited.”  
“He really is? That’s awesome.”  
“My boyfriend **is** awesome, Liam!”  
Liam grinned and they started walking a bit more. “You two are still happy?”

Mason sighed. “We are. But since I know I can be honest with you, I’m gonna say it straight away: I wish our relationship could go even deeper. I mean, you and Theo just became mates, and I wish we could have the same thing.”  
“Well, Corey’s also a chimera. I am sure there is a way you two can become mates too, even without fangs to bite, and we will find something. Don’t worry, okay?”  
“I’m not exactly worried, more like...I don’t know how to describe it!”  
“You want such a strong connection that even the universe knows you belong together?” Liam offered and Mason gaped at him.   
“That is literally the best description I ever heard! It fits perfectly!”

“It’s the same with me and Theo. I wanted that too and now I have it and it’s amazing. I still can’t believe we’re finally together.”   
Mason grinned. “Look at you being all hearteyes over Raeken. You’re turning into a sap!”  
“That’s rich coming from you. What color are Corey’s eyes?”  
“The prettiest and most beautiful color in the whole wide world. They defy description!” Mason raved and Liam snickered. He put one arm around Mason’s shoulder when his phone beeped with a new text. He checked it.  
“Since you’re still so in love I’m feeling remorse in keeping you away from him any longer. Let’s go back.”  
“Uhm, okay. I thought you wanted a longer walk but okay.” Mason shrugged and headed back with Liam. 

But when they walked back to the meeting hall, Liam slowed down all of sudden until he completely stopped a few feet away from the entrance. A few pack members stood in front of the door with sparklers in their hands, creating a fascinating and pretty picture and Mason frowned. “What’s going on? I love sparklers!”  
“We know.” Liam said and stepped behind Mason. His best friend cast him a look and frowned. “Don’t worry, I’m just here to catch you if you faint.”  
“Why should I faint? Lee, what did you do?”  
“Me? Nothing. Him, however.....” He nodded forward and Mason turned back around and there was Corey right in front of the pack members with the sparklers. 

“You light up my life just like these sparklers and your enthusiasm and your happiness is just as sparkling and dazzling. I love you, Mason, and you are the greatest gift I will ever receive in my entire life.” The second chimera started and stepped forward. “You make me happy by just being there. When I look at you, I smile, and you always see me, invisible or not. I never felt more important and you really, really make me feel loved. And I can’t imagine living my life without you.” He swallowed and wiped his tears away. “I had this whole speech written but I can’t remember it anymore because I’m too busy trying not to cry. But what I’m trying to say is:” He got down on one knee and opened a small box with an engagement ring inside. “Mason Hewitt, will you marry me?”

Mason slapped his hands in front of his mouth but the sob still escaped his lips. He stared at the beautiful ring and at Corey and then he started crying and nodded. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes, I want to marry you! Yes!” He cried and Corey laughed and put the ring on Mason’s outstretched finger while the pack cheered. The couple kissed and Liam felt Theo’s arms wrapped around him from behind. 

“Mated or not, we will have this too one day.” He promised Liam and the young Alpha smiled and leaned against him.   
“I’m perfectly content with having you as my mate but I would love to have this one day too. Maybe without sparklers.” He joked and Theo chuckled lowly and kissed his neck before snuggling closer to Liam and watching the newly engaged couple.   
Mason spun around. “You knew!” He called out and pointed at Liam.  
“We all knew!” The whole pack answered and laughed. A truly perfect Thanksgiving!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this is already chapter 19!! And still no end in sight! I'm loving!! I wanted to upload this chapter yesterday but things happened and I got distracted, so have it today. It's a bit longer than usual as special treat for all of you amazing people out there ♥  
> Quite some things happened, what do you say about it? I have to say I love the pack as it is :D  
> Any comments to Liam and Theo? Liam's mom? Mason and Corey? Or any other pack member?  
> You can always come and ask if you have any questions! I don't bite^^


	20. Hurt feelings and Christmas ornaments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life could be so easy for Liam and his pack. But, as usual, things don't go without a hitch.

Liam woke up to big snowflakes falling to the ground, the sky still hanging full with snow, and Theo wrapped around him from behind. The young Alpha blinked and smiled, relishing in the warmth of the covers around them and Theo’s body pressed against his own. It was a truly magical morning, right after the great Thanksgiving dinner last night. Mason and Corey were engaged, Theo had a great birthday and he and Liam were mated, Liam couldn’t ask for a more perfect life right now. He was insanely happy and if he could, he would have stopped time right this very minute. But unfortunately he couldn’t, so the least he could do was to enjoy it as long as it lasted. 

Theo’s arm tightened around Liam’s waist and he felt a soft kiss pressed against his neck. “Can we stay in bed all day?” Theo mumbled and Liam chuckled. The idea was tempting.   
“We’re still at the cabin, surrounded by our pack. Do you really want to miss a day with them and rather stay in bed?”  
Theo considered this. “Yes.” He then said and kissed Liam’s neck once more. “Hidden under the covers, all day long. Can you blame me? I have this awesome mate I want to spend all the time with.”  
“Charmer.” Liam teased and Theo used his grip to pull him flush against his chest. Liam laughed. “As tempting as this sounds, I don’t think we can pull this off.”  
“Hm, think so?” Theo asked and nipped at Liam’s jaw. The young Alpha sighed and closed his eyes. He was enjoying the kisses of his boyfriend and shivered.   
“You sure know how to be persuasive.”   
“It’s my specialty.” Theo told him and sucked on Liam’s earlobe. Liam sighed and his hands roamed over Theo’s back while pressing closer to his mate. 

A knock on the door interrupted them and Theo huffed in annoyance. Liam couldn’t say he was very happy about the interruption but he patted Theo’s arm and pressed a soft kiss against Theo’s lips, before raising his head.  
The door slowly opened and Tim peeked inside. “Liam, Theo, you need to come to the lake immediately!” He exclaimed. Liam and Theo sat up in bed and looked at him.  
“What happened?” Liam asked alarmed, expecting an attack or something equally bad.   
“Just get dressed and come to the lake! It’s nothing bad but you need to come!” Tim said, spun around and then left them sitting in bed. Theo and Liam shared a look. Whatever it was, they surely wouldn’t stay in bed and so they jumped out of bed, hastily getting dressed.   
“What do you think happened?” Liam asked while they raced down the stairs. Theo shook his head. “I have no idea.”

They didn’t even bother to grab their jackets just stormed out of the house. But they stopped right in front of the cabin when the core pack, as well as some other members, were there. Liam narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on, guys? We need to go to the la...” He interrupted himself and gasped loudly when snow was poured over his and Theo’s head. Unnoticed by the Alpha couple Maya and Mike had sneaked up to them and executed the cold attack and now the whole pack started laughing at the shocked faces.   
“That’s what I call a prank!” Mason called out and took a picture of the shocked faces. “You look silly!”  
Liam gasped and tried to get the snow out of his shirt, Theo next to him did the same. It must have really looked funny because everybody started laughing again. Liam and Theo shared a look. “Are they laughing at us?” Theo asked.   
Liam nodded. “I think so.”

They looked at each other again and then it was them who attacked. Theo by simply shoving Sadie and Maya into the snow, Liam by tackling Mike. And thus a snowball fight broke out. Everybody against everybody, the Alpha couple against their Betas, against each other, the Betas against each other and soon the kids of the pack joined them too. Lana, Byron, and Ilona watched it happening from the small porch in front of the cabin, sipping tea while doing so.

It was great fun and Liam was absolutely happy. Being so playful and happy with his pack was literally the best thing ever and from how his Betas’ eyes sparkled they were just as happy as their Alpha. Maya and Mike had started to pull some of the kids around on their sleds after a while, Sadie, Tim, and Nolan helped some other kids build a snowman and Isaac, Ever and Mason helped a third group of kids to build an even better snowman. Corey was the judge in this little competition. Lana left and when she came back, she had a camera and was taking pictures of the whole pack laughing and playing in the snow. Liam grinned and watched them all have fun in the snow. 

His eyes instinctively wandered to Theo who had joined Maya and Mike in pulling the kids around on their sleds and Liam smiled at the picture. Theo was actually good with kids despite him once claiming he could charm anybody aside from little human beings. Liam had not believed him back then and now that he saw the kids laugh with his mate, he would never believe Theo. It was sweet to see Theo playing with them and actually being gentle, careful not to pull too fast. 

“I fell in love with your dad during the dates we had and I fell in love with him a second time when I saw him interact with you.” Ilona stepped close to Liam. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.   
“You did?”  
“Yeah. And I’m sure I looked at him the same way you’re looking at Theo right now.”   
Liam chuckled softly. “Is that right? Well, a man good with kids is gorgeous.”  
“He is. He will be a great dad one day.” She kissed her son’s cheek. “You both will be.”

******  
Liam leaned back and closed his eyes, enjoying the hot water from the tub around him. The bathroom in this cabin was quite luxurious and had a round bathtub Liam considered more of a hot tub than a bathtub. After playing in the snow for a while, the cold had crept up on him and he had ventured inside again to take a hot bath. Now he could relax and soak in the water while enjoying the fantastic view from the panorama window behind the hot tub. Lana had once explained that the windows were made that you could look outside but nobody could look inside and spy on you in a private moment. Liam found this very thoughtful. That way he could enjoy the snowy forest and the mountains in the distance. 

A knock on the door made him turn his head and Theo poked his head inside the room. “There you are! I was looking for you because you have been so quiet.”  
Liam chuckle. “You would have been the first to know if something happened to me.” He pointed at his mating bite and Theo chuckle and leaned against the door.   
“I just wanted to see what you were up to.”  
“Ah, you were curious.” Liam teased and then he put his hand on the edge of the tub and his chin on top of it. “Did you shower to get warm again?” Theo had been out there without a jacket too after all.  
“I changed clothes and put on some thick socks.”

Liam sat up straighter and waved Theo into the room. He was aware Theo didn’t have a high body temperature as werewolves, thanks to him being a chimera. And he saw the way Theo relaxed when he stepped into the cozy warm bathroom and closed the door behind him. Liam nodded over at the bathtub. “Join me.”  
Theo laughed and shook his head.  “Enjoy your hot tub time, puppy. I’m fine.”  
“I will enjoy it even more if my gorgeous mate joins me.”  
Theo looked at Liam and his eyes flashed gold for a second. “Playing the mate card, huh? Tease!”  
“You love it.” Liam moved his arms underwater. “Come on, there’s more than enough foom for us. I’m sure even two more of us could fit in here.”

Theo looked at him then he grabbed the seam of his shirt and pulled it over his head before stripping his pants quickly. His boxer briefs and socks followed and no matter how many times Liam already saw him naked, he always felt his cheeks flush with arousal and he immensely enjoyed the view. 

Theo slipped into the hot tub and moaned as the hot water engulfed him. He tilted his head back and relaxed against the tub. 

“Feels good, hm?” Liam asked with a smile and Theo nodded. He ran his hands through the water and then carded them through his hair, getting it slightly wet. Liam liked this look on his boyfriend and he moved closer to Theo. Leaning in he brushed his lips against Theo’s in a soft kiss. Theo smiled and gently kissed him back before spreading his legs to Liam could move between them. Liam did it and leaned with his back against Theo's chest, head resting against Theo’s shoulder. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He said, talking about the spectacular view they had. Theo’s arms gently wrapped around him and Liam raised his hand out of the water and drizzled some water on Theo’s arm.   
“Pretty, yeah.“ Theo said and kissed Liam’s temple.  
Liam smiled softly and stroke over Theo’s arm. “I love you.“ He muttered.  
Theo leaned his head against Liam’s. “I love you too. I still can’t believe I can tell you this now.“  
“Feels unreal, right? Like you said, last time we were here I was just in love with you and thought you were way out of my league and would never see me like this. And then we finally kiss and everything falls into place. Now we’re even mated, have a pack house...Damn, we move fast!“

Theo laughed. “We never did anything slow or less than thousand percent, Lee. It only makes sense we do this quite wildly too.“  
Liam had to admit Theo was right and so he just leaned against Theo and enjoyed the moment. Everything was perfect right now, exactly the way it should be. He never would have expected his Thanksgiving to turn out like this but here they were.

A loud thud outside startled them both and then a pained groan followed by the sound of someone tumbling down a few set of stairs. “You broke my arm!“ Sadie shrieked. “Why did you trip me on the last few stairs? What the hell, Archibald?“  
“You broke my nose!“ Mike’s nasal voice replied. “With your bedroom door!“  
“You annoyed me so I pushed you. Not my fault the door was in the way!“  
“Well, you annoyed me too so I pushed you down the stairs. You survived, drama queen!“

Liam let his head fall back to look at Theo. "Breaking each other’s bones, they sure remind me of somebody.“  
“The best relationships stem from that.“ Theo smirked.  
Outside Mason took it upon himself to inform Sadie and Mike that in fact Theo and Liam did basically the same thing to each other in the beginning and now were sickeningly in love. There was a pause and then both Sadie and Mike retched, claiming that they would _never_ fall in love because gross and what was Mason thinking? Liam chuckled and Theo kissed his cheek softly, just as amused as his mate.  
“I bet you thought the same thing about me once, huh?“ The chimera teased.  
Liam bit his lip and smirked. “Actually no.“  
“No?“ Theo asked surprised. “You never thought of loving me as gross?“  
“No.“ Liam stayed with what he said. “From the beginning, I found you hot. And way out of my league. And psychotic. The usual... I didn‘t think about a relationship because sleeping with the enemy and all that, plus I was kinda caught up with Hayden but you got under my skin from the first moment on.“

Theo blinked and Liam frowned and moved away so he could properly turn around and watch his mate. “What?“  
“Nothing, I just…I did not expect that.“  
“Do I want to know why you didn’t expect that?“ Liam asked and raised one eyebrow.  
“Because I…I was evil.“  
“Doesn’t take anything away from what I said.“  
“But I…“  
”Ah.“ Liam understood. “You wonder how I could think of you like that while you only saw me as a kid.“  
"I never saw you as a kid!“  
“Your literal first words about me were ‘Why do I get the feeling this **kid** is tougher than he looks?’ , don’t lie.“  
Theo looked at Liam and then sighed. “You were one of the reasons I came to Beacon Hills. The Beta with anger issues. I didn’t expect… **you** when I came to town!“  
“Me?“  
“An angry puppy!“ Theo replied and Liam rolled his eyes. Had he usual no problem with the loving nickname he now understood Theo didn’t mean it fondly back then.  
“Glad you came around.“ He said and nudged Theo’s leg. “Come one, don‘t want you to get wrinkly.“

He got out of the tub but then Theo stopped him with a hand on his elbow. “Are you mad at me now?“  
“No.“ Liam said. “I just don’t like to be belittled. Neither now nor back then.“  
“I wasn’t trying to belittle you.“  
“You were back then. But that’s okay, you changed, I changed, we all changed. It’s good. Doesn’t mean I have to like the thought.“

He threw a towel at Theo when the chimera climbed out of the bathtub before drying himself off with another towel. He had just shrugged on his underwear when Theo’s arms circled his waist and he pulled Liam closer. “Liam Emerson Dunbar, you are the love of my life. I am sorry if I made you feel belittled or inadequate.“  
And that was really sweet and Liam had to smile. He ran his fingers through Theo’s damp hair.  
“I wouldn’t have mated with you if I held a grudge against you or if you weren’t the love of my life.“ He tried to calm Theo and yelped when he was pulled in a bone-crushing hug with Theo hiding his face against Liam‘s neck. But after some moments his surprise died down and Liam wrapped his arms around Theo too. The couple stayed in their embrace for several minutes until Liam gently kissed Theo’s shoulder.  
“Let‘s get dressed before our Betas begin to kill each other.“

He let go of Theo and Theo let him go and they both got dressed before leaving the bathroom hand in hand. They found their pack all over the cabin. Sadie, Tim, Ever, Mason and Nolan were in the living room with Liam’s mom, Mike, Maya, Corey, and Isaac where god knows where and Liam decided to join them in the living room, dropping next to Nolan. “How’s your arm?“ He asked Sadie.  
“It will be healed in a few hours.“ The blonde said with a shrug, arm carefully placed on a pillow.  
Ilona shook her head. “I admit, I need to get used to this. You getting injured and healing after hours. And you being rougher with each other. Mike just pushed you down the stairs, I mean.“  
“You’ll get used to it after seeing somebody’s torso ripped open multiple times.“ Liam told his mother grimly and she stared at him. “It just sucks if your healing isn’t triggered or delayed.“  
“That can happen?“ Ilona asked worriedly. “How?“  
“Various things. Poisoning for example.“ Ever explained and looked at Liam. They both thought of Theo months ago.  
“There are so many things that can happen to us. We are not invincible, it's just different than for humans. You either cope with it or you will live in fear forever. And that’s even worse than getting injured during a battle.“ Tim suddenly said.  
Liam smiled. “That‘s nice. Who told you that?“  
“You.“  
Liam looked perplexed. “Me?“  
“Yeah, during one full moon while I was fighting for control. I was afraid and you told me that it was okay to be afraid that I had to work against my fear. And then you said that.“  
Ilona looked at her son and ruffled his hair. “Look at you being wise and all.“  
Liam’s cheeks heated up. “Mom!“ He whined, making everyone laugh.  
“Don‘t argue with the Alpha mom!“ Sadie teased. Ilona laughed.  
”Something I have been thinking about. If Liam’s the Alpha, what does that make me in relation to you? The Alpha is the leader, right?“  
“The Alpha’s basically the pack dad. So that makes you the pack grandma.“ Tim started and then turned beet red. “Not that you are old enough to be a grandma! No! Uhm, Liam’s like our big brother. So, kind of our mom…“ He looked at the others in a silent ‘ _Help me!‘.”  
_ “You are my son’s Betas and that makes you my boys and girls too. Let‘s phrase it that way.“ Ilona suggested and Tim gratefully took the exit with a fast nod.

******  
The time at the cabin was great and as always when you were having fun and everything was great, time flew by. The day had ended with the pack sitting in front of the fireplace in the living room, talking and laughing, and then they all went to bed since they had to leave tomorrow morning. Morning came faster than ever and Liam felt a slight pang in his heart while he loaded Theo’s truck with their bags and turned around to cast one look at the snowy landscape in front of them, the lake and the forest.

“We will come back soon.“ Theo promised when he caught his mate’s sad glance and Liam nodded with a smile. “I know. I’m still sad.“  
Especially since leaving the cabin also meant saying goodbye to Mason and Corey and his mom. Ilona would take the early train and Lana would drive her to the train station. The two women had got along just fine and promised to keep contact from now on.  
Now Ilona bid goodbye to the pack, last ones being Theo and Liam. She hugged Theo tightly. “I know I don’t have to tell you this, you will do it anyway. Keep an eye on him. And yourself. You both deserve to be happy, sweetie.“  
Theo nodded and hugged her just as tight. “Thank you.“ He said sincerely and she gently stroke his cheek when they parted again.  
And then she hugged her son. “Your dad will think I have gone crazy when I tell him everything but in the end, he will support you as much as I do. We are proud of you, honey, don‘t forget that, okay?“  
Liam nodded and hugged his mother tightly again. “I’ll miss you. Good thing Christmas isn’t far,.“  
“Ah, sweetie, you know whenever you need us, just call and we will come as fast as possible. And now, that we know, you can call us anytime. I may not have glowing eyes or claws, but nobody touches my boys and girls.“  
Liam nodded and laughed happily and his mom hugged him tight and kissed his cheek one last time then she got in Lana’s car. Liam and Lana had already said goodbye so the two women could drive away under the pack waving at them.

And then it was time to say goodbye to Corey and Mason. The two best friends hugged tightly. “Soon we’re in Seattle.“ Mason mumbled and Liam chuckle.  
“Yeah, it will be great.“  
He was still sad to say goodbye to his best friend and Corey. Liam wasn’t a fan of farewells, no matter for how long. Theo squeezed his hand in silent support and then Mason and Corey drove away and it was the core pack left to scramble in the cars after saying goodbye and to the others.  
Byron gave Liam a big bear hug. “I am so proud of what you already achieved and there is so much more to come, just wait and see, Liam.“  
“Thank you, Byron. I try my best.“  
“I know you do. But don’t forget to pause every once in a while, look back at what you already accomplished and allow yourself to be proud of yourself. Everyone else is.“  
Liam smiled and nodded and it was hard to say goodbye one last time before getting in the car. Sadie in the backseat sniffed. “I hate saying goodbye. Can‘t we stay?“  
“I wish we could.“ Liam said while Theo started the engine and then looked over to Liam. “We will come back.“ He said again and Liam smiled.  
“I know. Still hard.“  
Theo nodded, shifted the gear, and then the truck started rolling down the small path away from the cabins and towards the street.

They all were silent for a while but then Sadie broke the silence all of sudden when she phoned Isaac and put the call on speaker. From how Isaac sounded, he had put the call on speaker from the beginning.  
“Now that Thanksgiving is over, we need to prepare for Christmas. We need a Christmas tree and we need to decide on a color for the ornaments. I’d say we go with champagne and golden Christmas decorations, that’s always an elegant combination.“  
“No, red. We need red decorations and maybe a little bit of silver.“ Maya argued.  
“Blue. I’m all about blue ornaments!“ Nolan chimed in.  
“Blue? Don‘t be ridiculous! We should go all white ornaments, that will look sparkly and like ice.“ Ever said.  
“Blue!“ “Gold!“ “Red!“ “Blue!“ “Red!“ “White! White!“

“Why don’t you go for all pink Christmas tree balls? That would be lovely.“ Isaac sarcastically threw in and Ever squealed.  
“I won‘t have a Christmas tree with pink ornaments!“ Theo, Mike, and Nolan said at the same time.  
“We once had a Christmas tree with light green ornaments and Christmas balls, that looked quite stylish.“ Tim chimed in and with thus the Betas started discussing and arguing about their color choices once again. When it got especially bad between Maya and Sadie (”You are not color coding our entire Christmas decoration, Sadie!“ “You have no eye for what’s classic!“) Liam groaned and slumped down in his seat. “You don’t plan on doing this the whole ride, do you? Because then I will walk!“  
“You could always decide on something.“ Theo suggested with an amused grin and Liam glared daggers at him.  
“I may be the Alpha but I don’t plan on getting killed by my Betas for choosing the wrong color.“  
“Then we will have our Betas fighting over this the whole time.“  
“Why don‘t you decide?“  
“I’m just the second Alpha, sweetheart.“  
“I really don’t like you right now.“  
Theo smirked and hummed _O Christmas tree_. Liam threw one of Valentina’s homemade cookies at him.

******  
The Betas had actually managed to bicker and argue for almost the whole ride which Liam could not help but find impressive. What was even more surprising to him was that not even Tim backed down from his point of view and demanded various shades of green Christmas decorations. And now the Betas stepped out of the cars and filtered into the pack house (Isaac grinningly waved and then drove off) and while they took off their coats and shoes they still argued. Theo was still highly amused by this and watched them when they all gathered in the living room with unholy glee on his face.

Liam watched the scene in front of him, then he wandered into the kitchen and opened a cupboard to retrieve a smaller bowl. Searching for some paper and a pen he made several slips and wrote down each choice before folding the slips and throwing them into the bowl and mixing it. He then wandered back into the living room where the core pack was still arguing. Yet it took one whistle from the Alpha and they all fell quiet. Liam held out the bowl to Theo while sitting on the armrest of the settle Theo sat in.  
“Draw a slip of paper!”  
Theo made a questioning face and Liam explained. “I wrote every single one of your options on a slip of paper and threw it in before mixing it. Except for pink because we’re not having a pink Christmas tree. Anyway, we will draw lots from now on. If your option got chosen it won’t be in the pot for next year until all is done. That way each of you gets their color in a year and nobody has an advantage or disadvantage. All you need to do is to agree to accept whatever color is chosen because I really don’t want to have you arguing the whole time.“ He stated calmly and looked at his Betas. “Does anybody has a problem with this procedure?”

They all shook their head and had to agree with that. “It’s the fairest way.” Mike said.   
“Oh, one more thing: If your choice wins: You don’t gloat, you are a fair winner. And you others won’t be grumpy, next year could be your year.” Liam demanded. and shook the bowl in front of Theo’s face.”Come on, lucky angel, pick one.”  
Theo looked up at him and shook his head with an amused laugh. “You’re unbelievable!” He said but then put his hand in the bowl, moved it a bit and pulled one slip of paper out. He unfolded it. “Red.”  
Maya beamed brightly and threw her hands in the air in silent victory. Her pack laughed.   
“That means I have to make a completely new color concept.” Sadie thought out loud. “I need my notepad!”  
“I’d say we all go shopping for Christmas tree decorations together. That way we get something we all like.” Liam threw in and again his pack had to agree. It was only fair. 

Liam looked around. “Do you have any special traditions for the time before Christmas you would like to do? Mike’s tradition is to get drunk, I know that already, but what about you others?”  
Mike shrugged in a _well yeah_ kind of way but looked curiously at his pack mates.   
“Me and my parents would watch every Christmas movie we can get our hands on leading the days to Christmas.” Sadie said. “Hot chocolate and spending the day on the couch in cozy pajamas watching those movies.”  
“Our tradition was to pick our the tree itself. We have figured how to decorate it but we need an actual tree.” Maya added.  
“The whole house needs to be decorated. Not completely Christmas but wintery.” Tim said and Nolan pointed at him. “Wanted to say the same thing.”

“All very good ideas and traditions we should keep. Now, Mike, anything you might want?” Liam inquired.  
Mike scoffed and shook his head. “Leave me out of this. I’m tagging along with you guys and will enjoy it, but don’t expect any input from me.”  
“Hey no, don’t do that.” Theo said and nudged him. “Even if you never celebrated a real Christmas in years, you surely have an image in your mind how you wanted Christmas to be. How it should look or what it should contain. Even I had this and I lived with the Dread Doctors in sewers mostly.”  
“What was it for you?” Mike suspiciously asked and Theo stayed silent for a moment. Liam grinned.  
“An Advent calendar. He requested one and then happily opened up the little doors every day. It was really precious.” He told the Betas and Theo glanced up at him while the Betas giggled and awed.   
“You’re really like to make fun of me today, huh?” He asked in mock offense. Liam grinned and leaned in, giving him a quick kiss.  
“That’s revenge for you not helping me in the car.” He whispered against Theo’s lips.  
Theo chuckled. “I hate you.” He muttered back.  
“Yeah, hate you too.” Liam replied and kissed Theo again. 

“Guys, if you start making out now again I’ will leave.” Nolan announced, breaking Liam and Theo apart.   
“Buzzkills.” Theo muttered and simply pulled Liam closer to himself, one arm wrapping around Liam’s waist. The Alpha smiled and leaned his head against Theo’s, one arm draped around Theo’s shoulders.  
“One Dunbar tradition is to make Christmas cookies and I’d love to do this with you. And then Ever get the chocolate cake I promised her too.”  
“Weee!” Ever exclaimed happily and everyone laughed. “We’ll help you!”  
“I hope so.” Liam replied.  
“My aunt has a recipe for a mean fruitcake. I know how to make it and I will make it.” Maya announced.  
“You can bake?” Sadie asked surprised. Maya shrugged. “There are a lot of things you still don’t know about me.” She said with a wink.  
“I am dying to find them out.” Sadie promised. 

******  
At the next possible day, the pack found themselves at a Christmas tree handler, looking through the various trees offered there. And Theo was slowly losing his mind, patience, and the will to endure this any longer.  
“I swear to everything in this world, if you don’t pick out a tree right now, I will grab an ax, march into the woods and log one myself!” He snapped after yet another tree got turned down by mostly Sadie, Ever, and surprisingly Liam. But Liam was looking for the perfect tree, okay? He had a mission.   
“Only if you do it half naked, as a sexy lumberjack.” He said absentmindedly while looking for a tree that was a bit dark greener, thinner.  
“I’d do it fully naked if that means we can finally leave! Look, what about that one? It’s green, it’s a fir tree, it has fir needles, let’s go!”  
Liam looked at the tree Theo pointed at. “That one’s not really what I had in mind.”  
“And I didn’t have a temper tantrum in mind when we came here but that will happen if we don’t leave soon!” Theo snapped. Liam just rolled his eyes and walked further down the line of trees.

“Uh, that one looks nice. What do you think?” He suddenly called out and the pack trailed after him to see the tree he had chosen.   
“That one looks like a real Christmas tree.” Tim adjudged.  
Theo looked back at all the trees they had passed. “And those look like palm trees or what?”  
“No but there are different kinds of fir trees and this one just screams Christmas.” Tim explained himself and Theo rolled his eyes.   
“We finally agreed on this one? Perfect! Where’s the salesman?” Theo looked around and then all but dragged the guy to their group to finally get their tree in the truck bed and just leave. But of course, Liam had to foil him,  
“I still need some evergreens!” He called out and dashed into a corner where said evergreen where laid out. Theo closed his eyes and huffed in annoyance. “I love him but I will strangle him.”  
“Don’t you think it’s kinda cute?” Ever tried to soothe the second Alpha and he just gave her a flat look. “He’s so excited. You call him puppy all the time and he behaves like one now.”  
“I call him puppy yes because most times I can handle this but this time...What the hell are you doing?”

“I need those.” Liam’s arms were full of evergreens and Theo glared at him in horror, probably seeing all those fir needles in his truck. It would be a pain to clean them out. “No!”  
“But, Theo...” Liam started and Theo interrupted him.   
“Don’t Theo me! This is ridiculous! You’re being your annoying Christmas you. Christmas you is even more obsessive than normal you and it’s annoying as hell! So get your shit together and act like the nineteen-year-old you are supposed to be!”  
“I’m just trying to make sure everybody enjoys the time before Christmas.” Liam defended himself, peeved at Theo being annoyed by him.   
“You don’t need those twigs, I can’t even imagine why you would think you need those but I don’t care either. Stop wasting our time, we have our tree, let’s go! Nobody cares about those, you obsessive Christmas freak!” Theo snapped at him and Liam stared at his boyfriend with big eyes. He said nothing at first, then his shoulders sagged. “I’m gonna bring those back.” He muttered, turned around and trotted over to really bring the branches back. When he returned he kept his head down but helped the other boys to get the tree to Theo’s truck. When the tree was tied in the truck bed and they all got into the car, the chimera caught glimpse of Sadie’s reproachful look. “What?” He snubbed.   
“Wow.” The blonde said. “Just wow!” And then she got in the car. Theo just rolled his eyes and got in too. 

The ride back home was silent, Liam looking out of the window and pointedly trying to not look into Theo’s direction and Theo cast some glances at him but now trying to talk to him. Back home, they brought the tree inside and put it on the tree stand. Tim and Mike slowly untied the ropes with their claws and the branches opened out, filling the space in front of one of the big windows in the living room quite good.

“Ah, that’s why you were looking for thinner trees. You knew if they opened out the bushier ones would not have fit.” Tim realized and Liam nodded. “Yeah.” He agreed quietly. He looked at the tree and smiled sadly. It was a strange mood between him and Theo and the fight had its impact on Liam. He did his best to avoid Theo and the Betas noted. Tim smiled shyly. “Want to play video games with me, Liam?” He asked and Liam nodded. “Sounds fun, yeah.” 

He left with Tim and the Betas dispersed. Theo caught Mike’s glance now and raised his shoulders. “What now?”  
“Dude, I have basically no filter and don’t know how to handle people so if that comes from me it was blunt. Low blow, T. low blow.” He said with a shake of his head and walked into the kitchen. Theo watched him and then scoffed.

******  
The situation between Theo and Liam stayed tense. They slept in the same bed but they didn’t talk or touch and even in their sleep they stayed on their sides of the bed. Liam had laid awake more hours than he had slept, curled into a tiny ball. He wondered why he wasn’t angry at Theo, something he had expected with his anger issues. He was sad instead, felt lonely and his mating bite throbbed in a numb pain. Since their fight, he felt cold and no matter how much tea he drank or how thick his socks were, the feeling didn’t go away.

Thanksgiving break was over and they were back at college but Liam was lucky and he only had two classes, meaning he was home way earlier than all of his Betas. He stood in the silent house and looked around before deciding to go with a plan he had since they came back home from the cabin but had been delayed due to his fight with Theo.  Maybe he could use it as some kind of peace offering because not talking and being close to his mate was tearing him apart. 

The first step was to look through the stuff he had taken from home when they moved to Seattle. It wasn’t much, just some decoration and so Liam made a list of things he needed. And so he made his way into town, taking the bus since Theo took his truck this morning. Liam didn’t care he had to carry everything he purchased back home. The neighbors were giving him funny looks but Liam ignored them while dragging his yield into the house. He checked his watch. He still had plenty of time until the others got home and so Liam started working.

He sorted the decoration and began on the first floor. While he stayed clear of the bedroom since he had decided that everyone could decorate their bedroom the way they wanted, he decorated the walls and the ceiling with fairy lights, candy cones, and smaller evergreens. Mistletoe was also something he put on the ceiling in the middle of the hallway, just for laughs. When he as done and looked around Liam was quite proud of his work. It was decorated but not too much to make it look tacky. 

And then he wandered to the ground floor and started at the kitchen. Some smaller decorations, an old lantern with glass windows filled with smaller fairy lights and turquoise Christmas tree balls on the table, a mistletoe over the entrance to the hallway and some special surprise for his pack. He wandered further through the house and decorated everything before finally grabbing the biggest string of lights he had found, took the ladder, and marched outside. 

He spent two hours until he got the lights around the entrance and the house the way he wanted to and when he was finally done, brought the ladder back, and then turned the lights on, he could not wait to venture outside and watch how it turned out. And while he stood in front of their house and watched the lights twinkle in the afternoon light, the rest of the pack came home. 

They all stopped in front of the house, got out of the car, and just stared at the house in awe. “Oh my god, this is beautiful.” Ever said with a smile and clapped at the twinkling lights.  
“Liam!” Maya called out. “You did this all on your own?”  
Liam shrugged. “Well, yeah. I wanted to surprise you.” He replied shyly and rubbed his neck. They all looked so surprised and captivated by the lights, their eyes twinkling, and that made him happy. He hesitantly looked at Theo who stared at the house with his mouth open and completely overwhelmed. 

“I...uhm...there’s more inside.” He gestured at the opened door and hastily walked back in. He had been sweating a lot while working and standing outside in just his drenched shirt wasn’t good for the cold temperature. It wasn’t snowing currently but there was snow on the ground and it was fucking cold. The Betas willingly followed him inside and then gasped when they stood in the entryway and the door closed behind them. The whole banister was wrapped with evergreen and white and silver Christmas tree balls and ornaments as well as some lights in between. 

“I used fake evergreen to not make such a big mess. But I used the more expensive one so it looks like real evergreen.” Liam explained, mostly directed at Theo. That’s what he wanted the evergreens for back then but it didn’t matter right now. He scratched his neck again, he always did that when he was really insecure about something and didn’t know what to do. Did they like it? Did Theo hate it? But Theo looked still in a state of shock, just like the rest. And yet his eyes sparkled. Liam got some hope he didn’t totally overdo it. 

Until Ever who had wandered into the kitchen shrieked. “Holy shit, Liam!”

They all ran into the kitchen and there was Ever, hands in front of her mouth in amazement and staring at the large Advent calendar he had hung on the wall. All homemade and every little sack had a number on and three cords above each other, creating three lines of sacks. 

“You did not fill those sacks yourself!” Mike said but Liam shrugged. “It was nothing, really. I thought it would be fun to have one of you open a sack each day. We can draw lots for the order or go however you want. I made sure inside is something you all like.”

He played with his fingers, unsure how to continue. “Uhm, I made smaller for ones for each of you as well. There.” He pointed at the kitchen counter and there were indeed seven smaller Advent calendars, each one with the name of one Beta, waiting for them.

“Liam, you did all this by yourself and we did nothing!” Sadie said shocked and Liam shrugged again.

“I’m the Alpha and I want all of you to have a great Christmas and time before Christmas. I am sorry if I overstate the case and annoy you. I just love Christmas, it’s such a wonderful time, reflective and nice, and I want you to enjoy it since I know not all of you experienced nice Christmas.” He explained himself and swallowed, blinking against the tears. He was still fighting with Theo and he felt lonely and was scared his Betas would call him sap or whatever. But instead, Theo stepped forward, took Liam’s face with both hands and tilted Liam’s head so he looked at Theo.

“You are the most wonderful person on this planet and I love you so much. I am so, so sorry.” He said, voice wavering while he spoke and Liam thought he saw some tears in Theo’s eyes too. It was all forgotten when Theo finally kissed him again and Liam was not ashamed to say he cried. How he had missed his mate.   
“I love you.” He muttered when they parted and Theo stroke over his cheek.  
“I love you too. Thank you for all this, it is truly wonderful.”  
“It really is.” Nolan confirmed.  
“Thank you, Liam!” The Betas chorused and Liam laughed softly while snuggling in Theo’s embrace and wiping his tears. “The only thing I didn’t decorate is the tree. We still need to buy Christmas balls and ornaments, everything I took from home I used all around the house, hence why the colors not always match.”  
“Don’t you dare to apologize for that! Liam, you did this amazing surprise for us, I couldn’t care less if the ornaments are blue or red or purple.” Maya said and the others agreed wholeheartedly. Liam smiled and Theo stroke his tears away and kissed him lovingly again.

******  
They were really doing shopping today and Liam had no idea what this day would bring. “I thought about one more thing. Yes, we know red is the color we have this year, but I decided each of you can decide on one ornament for the tree. No matter what it is, you can choose one thing and hang it on the tree.” Liam declared. “Nobody gets judged or made fun of.”

The Betas nodded and when Liam gave the sign, they raced into every direction imaginable. “Remember, only one ornament!” Liam yelled after them and then sighed. “I feel like such a Dad now.” He said while rubbing his forehead.  
Theo next to him chuckled. “You’re the Alpha, you’re kind of the Dad.”

Liam glanced at him. “You do realize this makes you the Mom?” He asked with a grin. Theo laughed and walked into a direction. He turned around and walked backward. “It’s the twenty-first century, Liam. Same-sex relationships are a thing. If you’re the Dad, I’m the Papa!” He called out before turning around again and then he went to look for an ornament himself. Liam laughed but then trailed behind.

 He looked around the store, inspecting the various ornaments the store had to offer. An ornament that looked a gingerbread star caught his interest. It was beautifully crafted and really cute and Liam decided to go for it. When he turned around, he caught glimpse of Tim and Nolan loading their arms with ornaments.

“One, each!” He called out and they flinched so hard, Nolan dropped one of the glass balls. Luckily Theo caught it before it could shatter on the ground. “Careful.” He said with a grin and Nolan blushed. “Sorry.”

Liam wandered over, his little star protectively in his hand. “Those are really pretty. Which one will you take?” He asked, stepping closer so he could wrap one arm around Theo’s waist. Nolan and Tim shook their heads and Tim wandered off to look for more while Nolan finally decided on a white ceramic mug filled with marshmallows and what looked like hot chocolate. Liam grinned. That was cute.

Theo now steered Liam into the direction of the normal ornaments. “We need red ones too, baby.” He said and Liam nodded and then they spent the next minutes looking between various shades of red and finally deciding on some dark red matt ones with some silver glitter and some shiny ones in a lighter red color. Since their fight, Theo really tried his best and attended everything without nagging or snapping. He was truly sorry, he had told Liam this repeatedly the night after they made up again and Liam had kissed him and told him it was okay (and then they slowly made love but that was only for them to know).

“ _Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock._..” Liam quietly sang along with the song blaring over the speakers and Theo smirked.   
“You’re not that bad of a singer yourself, you know?”  
“You only say that because you are in love with me and your ears suffer from that.” Liam gave back and blushed. Theo laughed delighted and pulled him closer to kiss his Alpha.   
“My ears are just fine. I mean, I hear the wonderful sounds you make while we’re in bed - or somewhere else - exactly the way I should hear them: Loud and clear.”   
A woman stared at them when she heard Theo say that, then she scrunched her nose and hurried away, pulling her little daughter after her. Liam blinked, then he started laughing.  
“Theodore!”  
“What?” Theo made an innocent face but his grin betrayed him. Liam just rolled his eyes but then pulled him closer and kissed the love of his life. “You’re unbelievable.”

“It’s why you love me.” Theo said and really, Liam had to agree. He took Theo’s hand in his now and then pushed the shopping cart Theo had organized with the other in search for their Betas. 

They found everyone, while the others showed their chosen ornaments. Maya had decided on a small metal bucket filled with marshmallows and the words _Let it snow_ printed on it. Ever had taken a small snow globe with a single house inside, claiming it reminded her of the cabin. Mike actually brought a little Chewbacca figure and Theo was ecstatic about that one. Sadie actually tracked down a happy smiling snowman with his arms raised in the sky. And Theo was gone for a few minutes but then returned with glass ball filled with fake snow and the words _Let it snow...somewhere else_ printed on it in golden letters. Liam snorted at that. “Snow is wonderful.” He said and Theo made a face. “Wonderful to look at when it’s warm inside but I hate the cold coming with it. Not my favorite.” He shuddered.  
“Guys, where’s Tim?” Mike asked and they looked around until he finally came running.   
“Got it!” He exclaimed happily but when asked about it he refrained from showing. “I want to to be a surprise.” He stubbornly said and they all accepted after he wouldn't butch.

So when they came home, they all found themselves around the Christmas tree and started to decorate.   
“We need to start with the lights, otherwise it will get stuck in the ornaments.” Nolan said and almost got hit with the light string when Maya was untangling it and threw it over. “Hello, human here!”  
“Hello, you wanted to have the lights!” She replied and he sighed but then started to circle the tree.  
“It hangs too low there.” Sadie called out and stretched to righten it in the upper branches. She was too short and Tim reached out to do it without a problem. She gave him a once over. “Are you really that much taller than me? That’s depressing.”  
“Since you’re almost always wearing heels, I would say it balances itself.” Tim said with a shrug. “Someone want to hand me the balls? I can start at the top.”  
“That’s one way to come out to your pack.” Maya muttered from the floor where she plunged the lights in to test them out. Tim froze from where he had stretched and then looked down at her.   
“I am indeed bisexual I think, Maya.”  
"You think?” Maya asked with a grin. Tim shrugged. “Still figuring things out.”

“Ah yes, take your time with that.” Liam said from where he was unwrapping the red Christmas balls and ornaments. “And don’t do anything you’re not ready for.”  
“You’re always so protective, Liam.”  
Liam looked up. “Hello? Alpha!” He said and let his eyes glow. Ever took one dark red ball and held it next to Liam’s face. “Oh, look, the red matches our Alpha’s eyes.”   
“Aw, pretty!” The whole pack said unison and Liam chuckled but rolled his eyes and they returned to their original blue color. 

They unpacked everything and decorated the tree and last but not least their ornaments found their places on the tree. Tim was the last one and hung his ornament. Curious what he had gotten, the pack inched closer. “Well, if that’s not fitting, I don’t know what is.” Sadie said.

Tim had chosen the plain but beautifully crafted silhouette of a howling wolf made from copper. It sparkled in the fairy lights and looked amazing. “That’s truly beautiful.” Liam praised and Tim beamed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I am curious:  
> What do you think Liam put in the calendars for his Betas? I am curious to see where your mind goes with it, so be as wild as you want. No pressure of course, I just thought it would be fun.  
> I wrote most of the chapter after a horrible day at work, especially the situation between Liam and Theo got me emotional. I still hope you guys liked the chapter.  
> Comments? Wishes? Anything?


	21. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam confesses why he's really afraid to tell Scott about his new status, the pack talks about the possibilities their lives could take, there's mythology involved, Ever is messing around with her magic, the usual stuff for the core pack.

The core pack had gathered in the garden of the pack house, around the fire pit on the patio and they just talked. They all appreciated times like that and even if it was Winter, the fire gave enough warmth and they were wrapped in warm blankets, so it was quite cozy. In addition to the blankets, they all had hot chocolate as a drink which gave the whole thing an additional tasty note.   
“Liam, how did you feel when you got asked to become an Alpha. It’s a big step but how did you experience it?” Tim asked and the other Betas made questioning sounds, indicating they were also interested in hearing this. 

Liam swallowed the sip he had taken from his chocolate and made a humming sound. “I was shocked, no lie. I didn’t see that coming. We just wanted to spend a weekend at the lake, relax, have a good time. And then we meet a werewolf couple and their pack and Byron taught me the philosophy of the Morning Dew pack of working with your wolf instead of against him and yes, they mentioned that Byron didn’t have a successor but never would I have thought about Byron asking me.” He then admitted.

Theo chuckled. “Liam was completely overwhelmed and even refused at first.”  He told the Betas, while he played with the hair in the back of Liam’s neck. Liam purred at the soft contact but sighed and nodded. “I did.”  
“Because you were scared?” Ever asked in her usual empathic way.  
Liam nodded and leaned into Theo’s touch. “I didn’t plan on becoming an Alpha around that time, I didn’t see myself as an Alpha and I didn’t think I was good enough to actually be an Alpha.”  
“But you are awesome as Alpha!” Tim said and the others agreed. Liam blushed softly.  
“I didn’t know that back then, Timmy. I was scared I would fuck up and people would die because of me. Don’t forget, I was just a Beta and okay with it. And then Byron comes and asks if I want to take over such a large pack. That was way too much for the moment. I really was sure I would be a bad Alpha.”

“What made you change your mind?” Maya asked.   
Liam looked over at Theo, smiled, and kissed his boyfriend’s cheek. “My chimera here for one and then my own inner wolf as well.” He said.  
“Your inner wolf?” Sadie asked.   
“Yeah, I had this weird dream where I woke up to a movement in the bedroom and when I followed it, it led me to the meeting point on top of the hill. When I finally got there, my wolf stood in front of me and even if he didn’t talk, I got what he tried to tell me.”  
“So our inner wolves can contact us in our dreams?” Mike asked and raised an eyebrow.   
“I had no idea they could do it until it happened to me, Mikey.”    
“Huh. Okay.” Mike made a thoughtful face. 

“The wolf on your tattoo, is that your inner wolf?” Nolan inquired and Liam looked down at his arms even though the tattoo was currently hidden by his sleeve.   
“You have to ask Theo that, he drew it. I always thought of it as my wolf, yeah.”  
“I...Yeah. Your dream about your wolf actually inspired me to draw this.” Theo confirmed and Liam beamed at him. Theo smiled back and they kissed again. Liam snuggled closer to Theo and into the blanket and grinned.

“Fun fact, I didn’t even think about adding more wolves to my pack or even establish a core pack but suddenly Maya showed up and asked for help. That’s basically what set it into motion.”  
“I came because even though you were a stranger, you cared about me when I almost fainted. And when I knew who you were, I thought you could really help me. I was right. As usual.” Maya said and chuckled at the end.   
“Why did you almost faint?” Sadie asked. Maya ducked her head.   
“I had certain ways to make sure my wolf would not break through during full moons. That included starving myself and just drinking kale juice. Only that way my wolf was weak enough and I could keep it in check.”  
“She also broke every possible bone in her body to make sure she didn’t shift. Until Liam forced her wolf out.” Theo added and they all stared at Maya in shock.   
Maya shrugged.   
“I was afraid of my wolf. Who knew what it could do if I allowed it again. I broke my aunt’s arm once, I didn’t want it to hurt more people.”

“She.” Tim said softly. Maya cocked an eyebrow. “Huh?”  
“It’s something I noticed for a while now. When Liam talks about his wolf, he either says his wolf or he. When we talk about them, it’s either it or our wolf. Like it is some sort of undefined thing. I didn’t want to insult you or your wolf, Maya, course not. If you feel like you wolf is male or genderfluid, I’m sorry for assuming. But I just noticed those pronouns.”  
“Are you seriously gendering our werewolf side right now?” Mike asked flabbergasted and Tim turned beet red. He awkwardly scratched his cheek. “Yeah?”  
“Tim isn’t that wrong. It’s stated in the Alpha journal that it was common for a while to give your wolf a name in order to see them as a friend and work with them. The tradition mostly died down after a while, but some werewolves still do it to this day.” Liam shared his knowledge with his pack. 

“Yeah, speaking off working with the wolf, how exactly does this work?” Sadie asked. Her logical side was very curious about that one. “Because I finally got control over the wolf and I am determined to keep it under control.”  
“I thought so too until Byron showed me how the pack does it. It’s simply by focusing on nature around you, paying some kind of tribute to your animalistic side, and in return, the wolf doesn’t overpower you but actually works with you. It’s mutual respect.  I followed his instructions and I can tell you, I became faster, I smelt better, I heard better.”  
“You sound like the wolf from Red Riding Hood.” Ever teased and Liam grinned.   
“It really worked!”  
“It even worked for me and I’m just a chimera.” Theo chimed in. “It is an experience different than anything else I ever had. Overwhelming but also pretty impressive.” 

“Since I got turned I had been afraid of my wolf and saw him as a monster, something I needed to lock away and keep on a leash, but since Byron showed me their technique I feel like I have a better grip on my wolf. I can stay better in control because I am an Alpha now and this is needed. Doesn’t mean the wolf stays under control all the time, but it’s easier with mutual respect. He can actually help me and this is probably the greatest discovery I made this year.” Liam spoke. 

He sipped his hot chocolate and considered it. “This year is one of those years were the most happened to me. If you don’t count the constant threats in Beacon Hills, the last time my life changed so drastically was when we graduated and moved to Seattle. And even that was not as radical as this year.”  
“But you’re happy, right? This year ends on a good note for you?!” Maya asked her Alpha and Liam nodded.  
“Yeah, I am happy. Though I can’t lie I would feel even better when I finally talked to Scott but for now, I am happy.”  
“You don’t think you will have time to talk to him this year and end it on a really good note?” Theo inquired and stroke through Liam’s hair. Liam shook his head. “No. December will be stressful with preparations for Christmas and since I invited mom and dad here, I don’t think Scott and I will meet before next year. It’s okay. Have to work with it.”

Liam continued drinking his hot chocolate and for a little while they group fell silent, everybody lost in their thoughts.

“Liam, why are you so afraid to tell Scott you became an Alpha? Do you really think he would not understand? When he left Beacon Hills, you basically took over and became the Alpha of the puppy pack and he was cool with it.” Nolan suddenly asked and everybody looked up again and stared at Liam.

The young Alpha finished his hot chocolate and swallowed slowly before he set his cup on the table next to his chair. “That’s different, I didn’t really take over, I just represented Scott and he always came back.” Liam tilted his head softly and looked into the flames. “Scott is a great person and he has always been like an older brother to me so a part of me knows there is a chance he will be proud of me for becoming an Alpha, finding and founding my own pack, and will help with words and deeds. But another part of me remembers when it was the first lacrosse game against Devenford Prep after my transfer and I walked over to Brett and my other former teammates and I really tried to apologize and be a good sportsman but Brett shot me down, claiming they didn’t forget what I did to my coach’s car and they would destroy me on the field. I was already stressed enough, I just had been bitten shortly before, and I got angry. My claws dug into my palm and I felt the blood drip and then Scott and Stiles pulled me away, right into the shower. It was when I came clean about my IED and I sat there, clothes completely drenched, and I will always remember Stiles’ words. He told Scott: You gave powers to a walking time bomb. When Theo met me and Stiles properly for the first time, he said ‘Why do I get the feeling this kid’s tougher than he looks?’ to which Stiles replied with ‘Only if we let him off his leash.’. The whole time the pack protected me and treated me like their little brother, their Baby Beta. And I loved them for caring about me but at the same time, it also felt trammeling, restraining. It was one of the reasons I decided for Seattle because it meant I could get away and finally be my own person. Just Liam and not Liam, the Baby Beta.” Liam blinked and then he continued with a shaky breath. “It’s not really Scott’s reaction or the pack’s reaction I’m afraid of but what this reaction would proof. That they only see me as a time bomb, somebody who needs to be restained. A time bomb who now has Alpha powers. And I’m not sure I could handle that.”

This had been one of the most real things he ever said and the pack stayed silent after he finished. Nobody really knew how to answer to this at first but then Ever tried.  
“I don’t know Scott or your old pack personally, but if they really still only see you as the Baby Beta, they are dumb. From what I heard about them, they don’t seem dumb, so I think everything will turn out fine.” She smiled optimistically.   
“And if they do we kick their asses. Nobody is mean to our Alpha!” Sadie explained and Maya nodded along with that while Liam laughed.  
“Thank you, guys.”  
“No, thank you for being so honest with us. That takes a lot of bravery to be so open. One of the things that make you a good Alpha.” Nolan praised.  
Liam blushed. “Guys, I’m not as great as you always make it sound.”  
“No, but you’re working on yourself and you admit when you’re wrong or struggling. Exactly what a good Alpha should do.” Maya said.  
“Especially given you didn’t plan on becoming an Alpha, you’re really good at this stuff. I couldn’t do that.” Tim backed Maya up.

 Liam smiled to himself. “I’m pretty sure all of you could be great Alphas one day.” He told his Betas.  
“Really?” Tim looked doubtful and Liam nodded. “Really. It may take some time but you have good hearts and you care about your pack. Two very perfect requirements for being a good Alpha.”  
“But wouldn’t that mean we have to leave the pack?” Tim frowned.  
“Not necessarily. There was once an Alpha pack, a pack just consisting of Alphas, lead by the strongest of them, Deucalion. So, a pack can hold several Alphas if **the** Alpha allows it and the other Alphas submit.” Theo put in his own two cents. 

Mike leaned back in his chair and watched the night sky. “Imagine all of us being Alphas. The new Alpha pack. Wouldn’t that be nifty?”  
“You did not say nifty.” Sadie mocked him and he rolled his eyes. Maya grabbed her neck and softly shook her. “Stop that, blondie!” She jokingly scolded Sadie.  
“Yeah, Athena, listen to Artemis.” Liam said with a chuckle.   
Ever and Nolan raised her heads. “What was that?” They asked at the same time and now everybody stared at Liam again. Liam had not expected this reaction and looked like a deer caught in the headlights for a moment before he frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?”  
“You just called them Athena and Artemis, didn’t you notice?” Theo asked with a soft laugh. “Where did that came from?”

“Oh.” Liam shrugged. “Well, you know I love history and mythology, especially the Greek one, and sometimes I tend to assign nicknames to people when they show a strong resemblance to some characters from the myths. Over the time I got names for anybody. Sadie is clearly Athena. She is beautiful and graceful but she also is the goddess of wisdom, intelligence, courage, mathematics, and strength; and at the same time, she’s the goddess of military strategy. She’s a fighter and a brilliant woman, just like Sadie who’s the strongest Beta and at the same time has an IQ from...how many was it?”  
“169.” Sadie said with a shrug as if it was nothing. It probably was to her. 

“And Maya is obviously Artemis, the wild, untamed goddess who does as she pleases even if people tell her she’s dressing not ladylike enough or should not voice her opinion so loudly. Who doesn’t see any use in jumping through hoops for anybody and that’s what makes her so authentical. Artemis is also the goddess of the hunt, and you, Maya, you’re a predator, wolf or not. Sharp reflexes and nobody should mess with you.”

“That is so incredibly sweet and so fitting.” Ever stated. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “Do you have one for all of us?”  
Liam nodded. “Uhm, yeah, actually.” When he saw his Betas curious looks, he was pretty sure they would not let him go without hearing their nicknames and so he stretched his legs. “Tim’s nickname is Minos. Minos was a king of Crete and is said to be famous for his laws and the success of said laws. All citizens were treated the same way and he was so fair, he later became one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld. I actually read this story lately and he immediately reminded me of you, Tim, because you are goofy and shy but you’re also the fairest person I ever met.”  
Tim smiled shyly. “Thanks, Lee.”  
“Just the truth, Timmy.” Liam said with a laugh. 

“What’s mine?” Mike wanted to know and Liam didn’t even need to stop and think. “Kratos. There are several stories about his heritage so depending on which you rather want to believe he’s either the god of strength and power or he’s one of Zeus’ primary enforcers. You’re the strongest Beta after Sadie and you would always protect your pack.” He explained and Mike obviously was immensely proud of how his Alpha saw him because he smiled happily.

“Mason’ is Coeus because Coeus is the Titan of inquisitive minds and intellect- Mason knows about that nickname, by the way. So does Corey who shares quite some traits with Hermes. Both can cross borders and move swiftly between the worlds, are cunning and quick acting. I’m pretty sure Corey cried when I called him that the first time.” Liam hummed. “Anyway, maybe it’s strange but it brings two things I love together. History/mythology and my family.”

“Mine! Tell me mine!” Nolan excitedly called out, going so far to jump in his chair. His pack laughed but Nolan didn’t care. “This is so cool. What’s mine?”  
“Simple. Ever heard of Lelantos?”   
Nolan shook his head.  
“Lelantos was one of the younger titans and is said to be the god of air. He could move unseen and they assign him hunter’s skill at stalking prey. After you learned how to use the crossbow your aim is always accurate and you may be human but it is impressive how quiet you can move. I only hear you because of my enhanced hearing most of the time.”  
“God, yes!” Sadie said. “You gave me almost a heart attack yesterday when you suddenly stood next to me in the kitchen. You need a bell around your neck or whatever to alert someone to your presence.”  
Nolan snickered. “I like that I can surprise you.”  
“Surprising and giving people heart attacks are two very different things.” Sadie scolded softly and he just gave her a shit-eating grin. She flipped him off and laughed. 

“Can I guess mine?” Ever asked and when Liam nodded, she scrunched her nose in deep thought. “Persephone? Because I like nature?”  
Liam shook his head. “Hecate. And not because she was the goddess of witchcraft. She was also the goddess of the night, magic, the moon. She appears in quite some myths and always had a leading part or helped the leading hero or heroin. What I like the most about her is that she is sometimes featured in hunting boots and a short skirt, just like Artemis, showing she is not only beautiful, but she has power on her own and is not afraid to go for a hunt herself. Cause you, my favorite witch, are exactly that. A fierce huntress with magic powers.”

“Isn’t he the sweetest?” Ever cooed and Liam blushed. “Those were just my thoughts.”  
“They are awesome, Liam, really. I never had a nickname like that before and I love it.” Maya said happily.   
The other Betas agreed and then latched in yet another topic to discuss. They sat there for a while longer until they finally called it a night and ventured into their bedrooms. 

“That was a nice evening, don’t you agree?” Liam asked while he changed into his pajama pants and his plain dark blue longsleeve shirt. It was cold, freezing, especially during the night, and even a werewolf could not sleep in a t-shirt anymore. Not even one who had the pleasure of sharing a bed with Theo Raeken.   
“Hm.” Theo said while he changed into his own pajama pants and white longsleeve. He didn’t add anything else and Liam frowned slightly and decided to try again.   
“I think evenings like these are important for the pack bond. Having nice times together.”  
Theo only made a vague sound this time, back still facing Liam, and Liam stepped closer. “Hey, you okay?” He inquired and put a hand on Theo’s waist while pressing against his mate’s back. Theo stiffened and then he suddenly turned around and looked at Liam. 

“Why didn’t I get a nickname?” He asked and even though his voice was quiet he sounded pissed and irritated. His eyes had this stormy look inside them, a dead giveaway he was hurt and angry. Liam’s heart clenched painfully. “You said you had one for anybody but you didn’t tell me mine. I’m your Beta too, just because we’re mated doesn’t mean you can forget me.” 

Theo pushed himself away from Liam and walked in the middle of the room, right in front of the bed. “Or do you simply don’t care enough to assign one to me?” He asked and now he sounded less angry but more hurt. It broke Liam’s heart.   
“Hey, no!” He stepped to Theo and gripped the front of his shirt. “I have one for you too, of course. You just didn’t ask and I assumed you didn’t want to know in front of the others.”   
“Oh really? What is it?” Theo seemed to not buy Liam’s words which stung a bit but Liam decided to swallow his hurt pride and feelings this time.   
He smiled softly instead. “Yours was the first one I thought of. It’s Hades.”

But if Liam had thought this would mollify Theo, he had been sorely mistaken. The chimera’s lips pursed and he nodded slowly. “Hades.” He repeated flatly. “Because I crawled back from the underground or because I’m evil?”  
In hindsight, Liam should have thought about that. He should have thought about the possibilities that Theo made those kinds of association but truth is, Liam didn’t even think about said associations. It had been so clear to him that Theo was Hades for the reasons Liam had in his mind, he didn’t even think about the negative connotations. 

His grip on Theo’s shirt fell and he grabbed Theo’s elbows instead. “No! Not because of those things!” He yelped and his grip tightened. Theo raised an eyebrow and got an impatient look on his face. Liam internally insulted himself for being such an inconsiderate asshole!

“The myth of Hades and Persephone has always been my favorite myth. Because it is so much more than you think it is at first sight and the older I get the more I can appreciate it. Persephone was a beautiful wood nymph but Hades fell in love with her because he saw so much more than just the pretty little nymph. He saw a woman who would not accept anything thrown her way when it wasn’t what she wanted and Persephone went with him to the underworld because she knew there was more to Hades than the evil god of the underworld. She went willingly with him and she became the queen of the underworld, just like Hades imagined her to be. And while all the other gods fucked up, he stayed faithful to his wife and she assigned the punishments for the souls. You are my Hades because you always saw more of me than just the Beta with anger issues. And I know there was something more and something entirely else than the image everyone has of you. None of the reasons you mentioned were crucial for my choice but I should have thought how wrong you could understand it. I am sorry.”

He had talked without taking a breath and when he ended Liam actually gasped for air. His heart was thundering in his chest while he looked at Theo and hoped his mate would forgive him. Theo looked completely shocked by the revelation but then he closed his eyes and groaned.   
“I’m an idiot.” He muttered while scrubbing both hands over his face.   
Liam chuckled. “But you’re my idiot.”  
Theo opened his eyes again and leaned his forehead against Liam’s. “I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t be. I wasn’t as innocent either.” Liam replied with a smile and Theo kissed him, slow and loving. Liam wrapped both arms around Theo’s waist and just kissed him back. He was happy they sorted it out and Theo was happy again. 

Liam tugged at Theo’s sleeve. “Come on, bed, baby.” He said softly and Theo kissed him one last time before he let go of Liam in favor of climbing into bed. Liam did the same and when he pulled Theo into his arms, Theo followed willingly. They curled under the blankets and Theo stretched to press a soft kiss on Liam’s jaw. “I love you. Good night, Lee. And thank you.”

Liam smiled and cuddled closer to Theo. “I love you too. I just told you what I felt.” He closed his eyes and hid his face against Theo’s neck, inhaled his boyfriend’s rich scent. Theo stroke over his arm and then kept his hand there.Thus they fell asleep.

******  
 Liam walked down the stairs to the kitchen the next morning and yawned softly. In the kitchen, Ever and Maya were already at the table, preparing everything for breakfast. “We thought a pack breakfast would be nice.” Maya explained when she spotted Liam and he smiled.  
“I planned on surprising Theo with breakfast in bed but that’s also a great idea. Is anybody else still asleep?”   
“Mike is awake or rather he’s walking around, out of bed. He didn’t have coffee yet.”

“Who didn’t have coffee yet?” Theo asked when he walked into the kitchen. He yawned and went straight to the coffee maker. Only when he had filled a mug with coffee and sipped on it, he was able to kiss Liam lovingly. Liam chuckled. Theo without coffee was simply not possible.   
“Good Morning to you too, Hades.” He greeted cheerfully and Theo smirked.   
“Hades?” Ever and Maya asked at the same time and Theo took one more sip before he explained why Liam decided on that name for him. Just when he did the rest of the pack stepped into the kitchen and at the end, everyone cooed which caused Liam to snort into the orange juice he had poured himself.

“You know, this would make you Persephone, Liam, which is actually pretty fitting, now that I think about it.” Sadie said while they all sat down at the table.   
“Liam? As Persephone?” Nolan asked and looked at the young Alpha. “I don’t see that. Ares, yes, but Persephone? Nah!”  
“Yes. Persephone was beautiful and Liam is beautiful too. Just look at the icy blue eyes and the cute smile he has. Don’t blush, honey, we’re just observing! And if you see Liam you immediately think of puppy but then bam! he gets totally into fighting mode and kicks your ass and takes names, just like Persephone did. And their mates just smile and watch proudly before joining the fight as well.” The blonde Beta explained her theory and if Liam had blushed before he was now beet red. Theo looked at his mate, then he threw his head back and laughed loudly.  
“She is not wrong.” He said after he finally got a grip on himself after a while. Liam only blushed harder. He really was out of his comfort zone when people complimented him like that and he had no idea what to answer or how to react.

In desperate need of a distraction, he drank his orange juice and then spotted the mail next to Mike. “Oh, anything interesting in there?”  
Mike shrugged and put his toast on the plate before he grabbed the mail and sorted through it. “Flyers, ads, I’m pretty sure this is a very early Christmas card but I’m not sure, and...” He groaned.   
“What?” Sadie asked and Mike held out a white square envelope with a red frame and his name and address in golden letters printed on it.  
“My parents and I have this deal that I go to one stupid gala to show the society I’m not in prison yet or whatever. The annual Christmas Gala held by Mrs. Edwards in New York City. A night full of disgusting food, people I don’t like - including my parents - and boring music. But my parents insist I participate.” He groaned again and stuffed his face with his toast.  
“When is it?”  
“December 18th.” Mike mumbled through his mouth full of food.  
“Can’t you take someone with you?” Theo suggested and Mike looked at him like Theo just solved all mysteries in the world. He wanted to say something but Tim stopped him.  
“Swallow first, talk then!”

 Mike followed his best friend’s command and chewed his food before swallowing. “That’s a great idea. Who wants to come with me?”  
“Tim!” Ever, Liam, Nolan, Sadie, and Maya said at the same time which made Theo laugh again and Tim squeak.  
“No! I’m not made for galas. I don’t know how to behave or which cutlery to use when it comes to dinner! Take Sadie, she loves ball gowns!”  
“But I don’t like Mike’s parents or their opinions. You should go with him because you’re calmer and you can keep him from doing something he will regret.”  
Mike twisted the invitation between his fingers. “I’m only allowed to take one person with me, so Tim, please.”  
“Can’t you take Theo?” Tim whined.  
“Hah, not a chance!” The second Alpha called out. “That’s a best friend’s duty, Tim-Tim.”  
Tim groaned. “Okay, fine. But you have to tell me if I’m acting stupid or do something silly, okay?”

Mike smiled. “Deal.” The best friends high-fived and Mike put the envelope aside. “But seriously, though, I’m only allowed to take one person with me to the gala but all of you are coming with us to New York, right?”  
“I always wanted to go to New York!” Maya all but screamed and she tugged at Liam’s sleeve. “Say yes! Please, say yes!”  
Theo joined her from the other side. “New York, I have never been to New York before. Let us go!”  
“You’re scaring me!” Liam muttered and gently freed himself from her. “Why do I always have to decide such things?”  
“You’re the Alpha!” The whole pack chorused and laughed. Liam jumped in his seat. “Okay, fine. A weekend in New York? Count me in.”  
“YES!” Maya cheered and spread both arms in victory. She knocked over Liam’s juice but right now she was too happy to care. Liam watched his juice drip to the floor, watched her, and then he started laughing. 

******  
Liam, Maya, and Tim were in the living room, playing video games, or rather Maya commented on what Liam and Tim played when the door opened and Sadie sashayed in. She stepped next to the couch, crossed the arms in front of her chest and the look on her face waved between gleeful and amused. The Alpha glanced at her. “Do I want to know why you’re smiling like that?”  
“Timmy!” She said in a honeyed voice. “The gala is very elegant. Do you have a suit to wear?”  
Tim stopped dead in his tracks and Liam was afraid he even stopped breathing for a second. Then he slowly looked at Sadie. “I have a suit my mom once brought me for my graduation. That should fit.”  
“Oh no! You’re not attending this gala in a crappy suit! No pack mate of mine will go into public like that. But that's what I thought. So come on, we’re going shopping.” She grabbed Tim by his arm and dragged him out of the room. Maya took his place.  
“Guess I’ll play with you then, Liam.”  
“Oh no, you two are coming with us. It’s always good to have other opinions!" Sadie called out and Liam and Maya shared a look. Both sighed but arguing with Sadie was a losing battle, they both were aware of that, and so they got up and followed.

The drive to the store Sadie had picked out was filled with Sadie talking about the newest trends. She was in her element and already in full shopping mode. Liam himself wasn’t the biggest shopper so he felt out of place, especially when they entered the first boutique. The interior was completely white, with crystal chandeliers on the ceiling, and suits and dresses neatly on hangers all around the clothes racks. Maya next to him tensed just like Liam, especially when a saleswoman strode towards them and Liam wondered if there was a size lower than size zero, because this woman way skinnier than a size zero. Sadie and her launched into a talk and Sadie explained what they were looking for.  
“I can pretend to suffer from a ruptured appendix to get us out here.” Maya whispered and Liam chuckled.   
“Let’”s stay for a while. See how happy Sadie looks. She really enjoys that.” Liam didn’t know at this point, he would soon regret those words. 

Because Liam had severely underestimated Sadie’s persistence when it came to shopping. Liam and Maya sat on two white chairs and watched Tim try on suit after suit after suit. Tim himself had completely given up arguing with Sadie and just let her bring suits to him. Sadie herself was darting through the whole store, chatting with the saleswoman and picking all kinds of suits from the racks.

“Two and a half hours! We’re already here for two and a half hours.” Maya muttered after she checked her watch. “And no end in sight. Poor Timmy.”  
“Don’t say this too loudly, otherwise she decides to get you some new dresses.” Liam joked.  
“I’m not wearing dresses, especially not those dresses. Look how big they are, I would look like a fluffy pompom. I’m not a woman for this.”  
Liam looked at his first female Beta, how Maya looked around and had this lost look on her face. “You know you are beautiful, right? Even if you rarely wear makeup and never dresses. You are one of the most beautiful women I know.”  
“Not as beautiful as Ever or Sadie.”  
“Bullshit. All three of you have your own unique style but you all are beautiful. They are not more beautiful than you, you are not less beautiful than them.”  
She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled weakly. “Thank you, Liam.”  
“Anytime.” The nineteen-year-old told her with a smile of his own. 

Tim emerged from the dressing room once more, this time in a navy blue suit and Sadie squealed with delight. “You look amazing!” She said happily and clapped her hands. This time, Liam had to agree. Tim looked good, not disguised.   
“How do you feel, Tim?” He asked and the Beta looked at his reflection. “Good.” He finally set. “This feels better than the others. I’d like that one.”  
“I knew I was that good.” Sadie was immensely proud of herself. Maya grinned but rolled her eyes.   
“Don’t let it go to your head.”

“I could pick out a dress for you too.” The blonde Beta offered the black haired one and Maya grimaced. The saleswoman gave Maya a once-over. “I don’t think we have dresses for somebody like _her_.” She said disparagingly. Maya wasn’t their usual client.

Sadie raised both eyebrows and glanced at the saleswoman, gave her a judging once over.  “You mean for one of the most beautiful women ever?” Her glance wandered through the boutique. “You’re right, those dresses really don’t do her justice. We should go somewhere else. But we take the suit for Timothy. Unless you feel too aloof to ring our purchase.” She made a dismissive gesture with her hand and the saleswoman clicked her tongue but marched towards the cash register. followed by Sadie, and Tim left to dress in his clothes again and emerge the dressing room for good a few minutes later. Maya blinked.  

“What just happened?”

“The saleswoman insulted you and Sadie called you beautiful and insulted her right back for you.” Liam summed it up while he and his two Betas followed Sadie to the cash register. Maya blinked again. 

“Uhm. I’m not used to people defending me like this. I’m used to defending myself.”

“In this pack, we defend each other.” Sadie had been in hearing range and now answered instead of Liam. She looked over her shoulder. “And I just told the truth.” She grabbed the shopping bag holding Tim’s new suit and spun around on her heel. She marched out of the boutique like the queen she was and the others followed. Liam grinned. Having his Betas defend each other made him as Alpha incredibly proud. 

******  
"Wake up, wake up, wake up! Everybody wake up!” Ever was pounding on every single bedroom door and woke up the whole pack. Slowly everyone left their rooms and gathered in the hallway to see what this ruckus was about.  
“When I went to bed it was November, did I sleep that long that it’s already Christmas morning?” Maya asked and stifled her yawn.   
“It’s December 1st!” Ever exclaimed.  
“What are you? The automatical announcement of time?” Mike asked.   
“Guys, we can finally open the first doors to the Advent calendars Liam made us!” Ever didn’t let her pack mates grumpiness stop her excitement.  
“It is seven o’clock on a Saturday.” Theo stated. “We can open them the whole day, no need to wake us!”  
“You don’t have to open the calendars all together.” Liam said. It was touching Ever felt the need to wake everyone up but they all deserved sleep as well.  
“You made all this for us, this is the least we can do!” Ever said and then stormed down the stairs.  
“I’m going to kill her.” Mike said. “Who is with me?”  
“I’ll hold her.” Sadie offered.  
“And I’ll help you hide the body.” Theo joined before turning around and padding back into his bedroom to crawl back into bed. The others did the same and Liam intended to go back to bed too but then he decided against it and followed Ever into the kitchen. 

Ever hovered in front of her calendar and had already searched out the first “door”. “Go ahead, open it.” Liam said and stepped closer. He had tried to fill every box or sack with something related to the Beta the calendar belonged to and he hoped they all would like what they got in their doors every day. Ever opened the little sack slowly and fished out the little golden charm of a howling wolf.   
“I know you’re having this charm bracelet but you were missing a wolf.” Liam explained and Ever hugged him tightly. “This is beautiful, thank you so much. I’ll put it on my bracelet right now.” And she stormed up the stairs to get her bracelet.

When she returned, she sat at the kitchen island and added the wolf to her bracelet before slipping the bracelet on. “It is truly beautiful.Thank you again.” She happily played with the little wolf and Liam sat next to her. He was happy she loved her first gift so much.He looked at the general Advent calendar on the wall. “We’ll open that when everyone’s awake.”  
“I can wake them.” Ever offered with a laugh.  
“Nah, no need to. I like having you in my pack and don’t want the rest of the Betas to murder you. You got pretty excited about those calendars, huh?”

“The last time I had a calendar was when I was a kid and I love the idea. You put so much thought into everything pack related.”  
“I’m just trying to make sure you all feel loved and welcome. Sometimes I worry I focus too much on one of you and neglect the others.”  
“You don’t neglect anybody, but even if you do we are all young adults, Liam, we all can say: Hey, Alpha, you could pay a little more attention to me or I need your help with something.”  
Liam knew she was right but he would probably always worry about things like this. It was how he was. He cared.

Her sleeve had ridden up and when Liam glanced at it, he saw a bruise on her arm. With a frown, he gently took hold of her arm. “Hey, what happened?”  
The bruise was already fading, colors being yellow and light green, but he was still worried. Ever rubbed her arm. “I tried a new potion and it blew up in my face. I fell back and hit my arm on the table, nothing bad.”  
“You need to be careful.” Liam knew she had a tendency to blow things up when she was mixing herbs. More than once they had heard explosions coming from Ever’s room and Nolan had even gone so far to leave a small fire extinguisher next to her desk for particularly bad cases.  
“I know but I really thought I had it down this time. Then I got frustrated and tried something else than potions. That didn’t work either but hey, I’m trying.”

“What were you trying to do?” Liam inquired. He had no idea about magic but maybe he could help a bit, even if it was just bringing her the ingredients she needed.  
“I’m working with mountain ash.” Ever explained. “Theo and Corey actually brought me onto this. They can pass a mountain ash barrier and since mountain ash is a magical loaded material, I’m using it for a way to discharge and recharge it how I want it. Basically, make it a barrier we all can cross but others can’t or completely unloading it so you can pass it too without having to break the barrier. That would be useful in a fight when the enemy thinks they have this barrier none of you can cross.”

“Okay, wait a moment and let me repeat that. You’re trying to change the attribute of mountain ash in a way that when a mountain ash barrier is there, you either completely discharge it and just make it some ash on the ground so we can walk over it without a problem.” Ever nodded. “And in the next step, you want to recharge the mountain ash to protect the pack but not let other supernaturals pass it.” Ever nodded again. Liam whistled. “That is a lot, Ever. I’m sure you will succeed if it is possible, but it’s still a big ass project.”  
“I know but I’m making some progress I think. Want to help me? I need a supernatural to test if you can cross the barrier.”   
Liam nodded. He had said he wanted to help her so he would stand by his word. And so Ever went to grab her mountain ash while Liam waited for her in the living room. 

Ever walked back in, the jar with the ash cradled in her arm. “Okay, just stand there, okay? I will put a circle of mountain ash around you and then try to enchant the ash. I’ll make the circle big enough so you don’t feel too caged.”  
Liam nodded, even though his wolf grew anxious. Mountain ash wasn’t fun to be around but he trusted Ever. Now she grabbed the ash and threw it in the air. It formed a perfect circle around Liam and he immediately felt caged. The circle was big enough for him to move but he still knew he couldn’t go anywhere.  
“You okay?” Ever inquired and Liam smiled weakly. “Can’t say being surrounded by mountain ash is my favorite past time but I trust you.”

The young witch nodded and raised both hands. Narrowing her eyes on the mountain ash surrounding Liam, she concentrated and waved her hands slowly. Liam held his breath and watched the ash close. Nothing happened for several minutes and he smelled her frustration but then a dim blue light made the ash glow for a second. Ever looked at him.  
“Think it worked?”  
“Only one way to find out.” Liam said and reached out to try and pass the barrier. Ever did the same but right before they almost touched, something like a flash went off and both were pushed away by the force, flying to the ground. Liam hissed when his back painfully collided with the floor and then he raised his head to check on Ever. 

Nolan stood in the doorframe and sipped tea. “That looked funny. What are you doing?” He asked and Ever glanced at him from where she landed on the floor as well.   
“I tried to discharge the mountain ash. It obviously didn’t work.” She complained and bobbed up.   
“Something happened, we both saw the glim and something also pushed ou away so there was energy there. You’re just starting this, if you continue to work on it you will manage it in the future.” Liam gave her a pep talk and she smiled softly. “Uhm, could you break the barrier? I’d like to go out.” The young Alpha then asked and she hurried to break the barrier. Liam had to admit, this felt better.

“You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” He asked Ever and she shook her head. “I’m fine, Alpha. Thanks for helping.”  
“Good. And now I need a coffee.” Liam squeezed her shoulder in a supportive manner and then brushed past her to walk into the kitchen. He grabbed his favorite mug and filled it with the freshly brewed liquid (thanks to Nolan). While he sipped on it, he checked the fridge, only to realize they needed grocery shopping. A pack full of wolves ate a lot! He made a list which things he needed.

After a while, h wandered back into the living room. “You need to come grocery shopping with me.” He stated but got no reply. Ever was curled in one of the settles, Nolan on the couch, and both were asleep again. Liam chuckled. It was still early and he decided to let them sleep, just like the rest of the pack. He could do the shopping alone. So he sneaked upstairs and into his and Theo’s bedroom. The twenty-two-year-old was on his side of the bed but facing Liam’s side and one arm outstretched as if he wanted to wrap his arm around Liam. It was the same arm he wore his bracelet on and the early morning sun was casting shadows on the leather. The blanket was barely covering Theo’ hips and Liam pulled it higher so Theo would not run cold. Theo didn’t even move and Liam knew it testified how safe Theo felt. He usually was very cautious and reacted to the slightest movement, but here in the pack house, he felt so safe he could sleep without a hitch. Liam let him sleep and quickly got dressed before leaving the room again. He took the car keys and then he got into Theo’s truck and drove towards the store.

Liam had always liked early morning shopping. The stores weren’t crowded and you could take your time without feeling rushed. He grabbed a shopping cart and pushed it through the aisles, loading them with various items. Which suddenly reminded him, he needed to do his Christmas shopping as well. With a whole pack, he really pondered how they should go the whole gift thing. Maybe a Secret Santa? Otherwise, it would be quite massive to buy gifts for everyone. He needed to discuss this with his pack.

Liam yawned a bit while he pushed his cart further through the store. It was quiet in the store, something Liam enjoyed immensely and he was able to get everything quite fast. He had just gathered some milk cartons and pushed his cart further down the aisles of fridges when he caught a movement in his reflection of the fridge glass doors. It almost had looked as if a large dog walked right next to Liam and he stopped abruptly. _No, not a large dog, a wolf._ His brain automatically corrected. Liam took a few steps back and turned towards the glass but now it was only him, his normal human reflection. His heart was still thrumming wildly in his chest from the shock he had gotten.  
“I’m getting paranoid.” Liam muttered and ran a hand through his hair before he turned around and pushed his cart further. He resolutely ignored his reflection even though he didn’t saw the wolf or whatever the hell that had been again. Maybe it had been just bad lightning or he was too tired but he wasn’t keen on finding out what exactly that had been. No, now he just paid for his groceries and then loaded the truck before he drove home again.

When he came back the house was silent and Liam tried not to make too much noise while he carried the bags inside and stowed the groceries away. When he was done, he made his way upstairs and into their bedroom. Theo was still asleep and Liam grabbed the Alpha journal and sat down in one of the window seats. The early Winter sun was slowly warming up the place and Liam liked sitting and reading there, so he flipped the journal open and started reading.

__**“Scott will never trust me again...I ruined everything....”** Liam heard the murmurs and spun around. He stood in a dark and empty room. Nothing was there except him and he heard those voices. The first one had been his and he knew he had uttered those words after he tried to kill Scott in the library,  
__**“I can’t be a monster...”** Liam spun around again when his broken voice came from another corner but nobody was there.   
_“Hello?” He called out, trying to make sense of all this._  
__**“Scott will think I’m a monster...”** Sounded up again and Liam looked around. It was his voice but it sounded distorted and like an echo.   
_**“You’re a werewolf. Like me.“**   **“He doesn’t have to pretend. Unlike us who everyone hates.”** The voices were coming faster and from various directions now. _ _**“We never give up, especially if it’s someone innocent.” “Scott, I’m sorry...”** Liam spun around again and again, trying to make sense of anything. But he still stayed alone with the voices around him.  
_ __**“But it still hurts, though.” “We lost everything.”**

Liam gasped when she woke up, awoken by a soft shake of his shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay.” Theo stood in front of Liam and worriedly looked at his boyfriend. Seemed like Liam had fallen asleep in the window seat andTheo had slowly woken up from this very strange dream of his. “What’s wrong, Liam? Did you had a nightmare?”  
Liam frowned and rubbed his eyes. “No. More like a very strange dream.”  
Theo kneeled down. “Want to talk about it?”  
Liam shook his head. “No. It didn’t make sense at all. Don’t worry.” He looked around. The room was a bit brighter than before. “How long have I been out?”  
“Don’t know. When I woke up, you were already sleeping. Could have come to bed, you know? I missed cuddling with you.” Theo smiled softly and Liam smiled back and kissed him. “Breakfast?” He mumbled then.  
“The Betas are already preparing it.” Theo replied and pulled Liam to his feet. “You’re really okay? You know, you can talk to me if you’re not.”  
Liam took Theo’s face in his hands and smiled. “Hey, look at me. I am fine. If that changes, you will be the first to know. We’re bonded, Theo, you will feel it and I will tell you. Okay?”   
Theo nodded. “Okay.” He said and pulled Liam into yet another kiss. Liam wrapped his arms around his mate. he was really lucky to have such an awesome and caring mate. And he had an amazing pack, so the thing this morning was probably just an optical illusion and his dream meant simply that he was anxious about his talk with Scott or whatever. Liam simply decided on this interpretation now and followed Theo downstairs.

Their Betas were mingling in the kitchen and Sadie was currently praising the nail polish she had been received in her first box of her Advent calendar. Tim, who Liam had learned sometimes helped at the retirement home and had this very sweet elderly man who loved to play pairs, enjoyed the new game of Pelmanism. Nolan was happily munching the Belgian chocolate Liam had filled his first sack with. Maya smelled the tea Liam had given her. “Smells delicious.” She praised when Liam walked past her. The Alpha smiled, happy that his Betas enjoyed their gifts so much. 

Mike had laughed loudly when he received a USB flash drive in form of a hamburger. “This is great. And looks yummy. Thank you, Liam.”

A chorus of thanks yous echoed through the room and Theo kissed Liam’s cheek and then stepped to his advent calendar to look for the first door to open. When he found it he slowly untied the little black sack and fished inside. He pulled out a travel-sized cologne. “It’s the one you saw in the store the other day but you weren’t so sure if you really liked the scent for a long time so I thought you could try this.” Liam explained and Theo beamed at him. “Great, thank you, Lee.” And to underline his gratitude, he kissed Liam lovingly.

“And who opens the first door of the general Advent Calendar now?” Nolan inquired behind them. Liam leaned against Theo. “Ever. She was so excited, so why not her.”  
“Me, really?” Ever looked surprised but happy and when everyone nodded, she got up and walked over to grab the first sack. Upon opening it, she brought a bag of filled chocolates to light. “Those are my favorites!” She explained. “Thanks, big brother!”  
“Anytime.” Liam said with a soft smile and leaned against Theo.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still can't believe this story already has 21 chapters. I know I already said this but I am beyond thrilled. This is so great :D <3  
> Liam has nicknames for his Betas, yes. It's one of the strongest headcanons I have and I really did some research to find the ones I found the perfect fit. Christmas is coming closer but before that, we have New York which will great for the pack and for us to watch^^


	22. Pack Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack prepares for New York and Liam and Theo deepen their relationship even further.

Theo laid on his back, already in bed while Liam was still brushing his teeth, and had his arm raised to play with his bracelet with a thoughtful look on his face. Liam looked at his reflection in the mirror then he spat out the toothpaste and rinsed his mouth, wiping it with his towel. Theo didn’t look worried or angry but Liam was still interested what he was thinking about.

“What’s on your mind?” He asked while he stepped into the bedroom and turned off the light so only the light on the nightstand was on. He walked over to the bed and slipped under the covers before he moved closer to Theo and draped one arm over Theo’s stomach. He curiously looked at his mate, head on his pillow, and patiently waited for Theo’s answer.

“Thinking about getting a tattoo.” Theo replied and Liam perked up at that.   
“Really? What motif?” He inquired.   
Theo turned his wrist slightly and pointed at the two paw prints engraved on the bracelet. “I know we have those on our bracelets but you gave me this joy by wearing my art on your skin and I would like to wear something on my skin you thought off.”  
Liam smiled and kissed Theo’s chest through his shirt, one hand placed right over his heart. “When I got the bracelets done, I actually considered this as my second tattoo.” He confessed.  
“Really?” Theo chuckled and turned his head to kiss Liam’s forehead before his other arm sneaked around Liam’s waist and pulled him closer.   
“Yeah, I knew it would always remind me of you and I would feel even closer to you than I usually do.” Liam raised his head and kissed Theo lovingly before he snuggled closer again. “Maybe we both should get it tattooed.” He joked.

“A couple tattoo?” Theo asked with a laugh and his fingers started carding through Liam’s hair. They both liked it when he did this; Theo because it felt soft and actually relaxed him, Liam because it felt good and he felt cherished. 

Liam purred and then hummed in affirmation. “I always liked the idea of soulmates who wear the same symbol on their skin and thus find each other. The thought of another person wearing the exact same mark as you? That’s just romantic to me and I’m usually not like this. But this trope I like. Since there are no soul marks, I have to stick to tattoos.”

“What do you mean, you’re usually not like this? You, my beloved, are a romantic by heart.” Theo softly teased him and rolled on top of Liam to kiss his nose, his cheek, and finally his lips. Liam smiled into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Theo. Theo’s fingers stroke over Liam’s side and finally disappeared under his shirt to stroke over his warm skin. Liam sighed softly and arched into his mate’s touch.

A knock on the door forbade them from going any further and Theo sighed, hid his face against Liam’s shoulder. Liam sighed too but then raised his head. “Come in!”  
“Why are you calling? We have the dreamcatcher above the door, they won’t hear anything.” He huffed and Liam had really not thought of that. But the door opened nonetheless and Sadie peeked inside.

“Well-respected second Alpha...” She began and Theo rolled off Liam and gave her a look.   
“This will not go in a direction I will like if you start like that.” He said and Liam swatted his shoulder. “Be nice.” He said amusedly and Theo grinned at him but then returned his attention back to Sadie.  
“How high are the chances you let me borrow your truck, oh wonderful second Alpha of our pack?”  
“Minus one billion.” Theo told her matter-of-factly. “Why do you need my truck anyway?”  
“I need to get some things from my dorm room and it would have been easier with your truck. I promise I will be careful.”  
“Mason said that too once and then he drove my car right through a barn door.” Theo said and Liam snorted with laughter at the memory.  
“Why don’t you drive with Theo tomorrow? Then you also have someone who can help you carry your stuff.” Liam went for a compromise. Sadie and Theo were both stubborn and if they wanted, they could argue for hours.   
Theo now shrugged and nodded. “Fine by me.”  
Sadie pouted. “Okay, maybe I take you up on that offer. Good Night, Alpha couple.” She blew them a kiss.  
“Good Night, Sadie.” Both said in unison and she closed the door.

Theo pointed at the door. “Is she mad now?”  
“Not mad, more like impatient.” Liam said. “She has a point though, yours is the only car we have and since only you and I drive it, it’s a bit complicated.”  
“Well, if _someone_ had not insisted to leave his car in Beacon Hills, we would have two cars now.”  
Liam raised both eyebrows. “Why are you sassing me now? I didn’t do anything and I left my car back because we lived close to the campus and one car would have been enough.”  
“Yeah, well who would have thought we ended with a whole pack?”   
“Who would have thought I ended up an Alpha before even turning twenty?” Liam asked back and then laid back down again. Theo curled next to him and wrapped his arms around Liam.   
“We need to do something about the car situation. Most of us use the bus or the tram, and Sadie has her scooter but I don’t like the idea of her driving it when it’s raining and snowing.” The young Alpha continued.  
“We will think of a solution. Though, might not tell Mike that, he will probably go and buy a new car.”  
Liam hummed and ran his fingers through Theo’s hair, just like Theo had done it to him before. “I think it’s his way to make sure he stays in the pack. He still thinks he needs to buy our love and friendship with his money instead of realizing we are his family and his friends now and won’t leave him.”  
“Given his relationship with his parents, I understand why he thinks like that, but I also know he will understand it. Look at me, when your parents and you took me in. I always felt like I was just a guest, that my stay with you was limited, in the beginning. But I came around in the end and so will Mike.”   
Liam smiled. “I hope so. But you maybe you should tell him that, he looks up to you.”

******  
Liam sat at the table in the kitchen and made a list of some things he needed for Christmas. He usually wasn’t the type of guy to make lists but for a Christmas dinner with so many people he wanted to be prepared and wanted to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. Maya and Ever were messing around on the kitchen counters where Ever mixed some herbs together and Maya entertained herself by throwing herbs into the kettle when Ever told her to do so. Every time it bubbled, Maya giggled happily and Liam smirked. His Betas were sometimes real children. But he loved that because he was like that himself too from time to time.

“Sadie would have liked this too. Look at how pretty purple this is. Her favorite color.”  Ever said and raised the spoon to show Maya what she was talking about.  
“Where is she by the way. I thought she would leave with Theo to grab her stuff but Theo went to the skate park with Mike because she was already gone.”   
“I just know she went to grab her stuff. Since she didn’t get Theo’s truck, she thought of something else.” Maya said with a shrug.   
“Yeah, why didn’t she get Theo’s truck? I wanted to ask this for a while now. Theo is so strict with his truck, is there a reason for that?” Ever asked and both girls looked at Liam who raised his eyes from what he had been writing. 

“I wasn’t allowed to drive the truck for a long time either. I guess that’s just because Theo lived in his truck for a while.”  
“It’s his safe place, you mean.” Maya concluded and Liam nodded.   
“Plus, the only time someone else drove his truck it either crashed or it was because Theo was wounded so severely, he couldn’t drive himself. He has a problem with giving up control over that one thing he always had. His truck was his everything, literally, for quite a while. So forgive him for being a bit harsh about it in the beginning.”  
“It’s insanely cute how great you are at getting each other. You always explain his actions to us, he always explains your actions to us. You are such a dream team.” Ever said with a smile.  
“We worked hard for this and it took some broken noses and ripped t-shirts to get there, I can tell you. By the way, your potion is overboiling.”

Ever shrieked and went to save her potion from spilling too much when Mike and Theo entered the kitchen. Both watched Ever and Maya trying to save the potion and scrunched their noses. “It smells as if a bath bomb exploded in here.” Mike complained.   
“It’s a potion, thank you very much.” Ever snarked back.  
Liam looked at his watch, a completely perplexed look on his face. “You’re already back from skating?”  
“Lee, it’s getting dark outside. We have been skating for hours and now we’re chilly and hungry.” Theo said while he leaned down to kiss Liam. Liam returned the kiss but that didn’t take away his worry. “Guys, where is Sadie? For just getting a few things from her dorm room, she’s gone far too long.”  
“You’re always worried about us, huh?” Mike asked Liam.   
Liam frowned. “When you come from Beacon Hills, a missing pack member usually means they are captured or dead. So yeah, I tend to get worried when I don’t know where you guys are.” Liam answered. “Tim and Nolan are in the living room, so the only one missing is Sadie.”  
Maya tried to reach her cellphone but shook her head. “She’s not answering her phone.”

Liam ran a hand through his hair and got up to walk into the entryway. “I’m going to look for her.” He said. Theo had followed him, car keys already in hand. But when they stepped outside the house to get into Theo’s truck, Liam coincidentally looked down the street and frowned. “Oh shit.” He suddenly said and then raced down the street where Sadie was walking or rather limping towards the house, pushing her scooter next to her. Her jeans were destroyed on one leg, showing bloodied and bruised skin and the scooter also looked broken. 

“Sadie, what happened?” Liam asked and steadied his Beta while Theo steadied her scooter.   
“I slipped on some icy patch on the street.” She gritted out. “I’m okay, it’s mostly healed already.”   
“Mostly healed?” Theo asked her. “If that’s mostly healed how did it look right after the accident?”  
“I will be fine.” Sadie insisted while Liam helped her into the house. “But my scooter is broken.”  
“I will take a look at it, maybe I can fix it.” Theo promised her. “But, Sadie, I would have driven you to your dorm to get your things. Why didn’t you wait?”  
“I didn’t want to annoy you.” Sadie mumbled while Liam led her inside and into the living room so she could sit on the couch. 

Theo brought her scooter in the garage, then he returned to the living room. “You would never annoy me, that’s what I’m here for. I’m the first Beta, the second Alpha, you can come to me for those things and I will gladly help you. And maybe we need to find a regulation for my truck.”  
Liam shook his head while Ever rushed into the living room to take care of Sadie’s injury. Despite the werewolves healing being advanced, Ever took it upon herself to mix some salves and lotions to help the healing even better and was now doting on Sadie. “You don’t need to do that, Dore. I talked to mom and dad this morning. When they come for Christmas, they drive with my car and then take the train back. So after Christmas, we have my car here too.” Liam said and Theo looked at him surprised. Liam just shrugged. “For now it’s important that Sadie gets better. That’s more important than anything else.”  
“I already feel better, thank you, guys. In a few hours, I will be healed.” Sadie chimed in and smiled softly. 

And true to her words, she was as good as new on the next morning. And true to his words, Theo actually drove with her to her former dorm to load in her stuff. Liam accompanied them and when he stepped into Sadie’s dorm room, she pointed at a standing mirror.   
“Since you’re here, you can help Theo carry the mirror, right?”  
“I see why you needed the truck.” Theo muttered and picked up the mirror with Liam. Liam chuckled. “I would have loved to see Sadie driving her scooter with that thing behind her. The crash would have been even worse than the one yesterday.”

Theo just hummed and Sadie carried a bag filled with pillows after them while they carried the mirror to the truck and stowed it safely in the truck bed. A second round to the room gave Liam the opportunity to carry a box full of photo frames, pens, and other stuff from Sadie’s desk. 

“You're officially moving out?” A girl from the room across from Sadie asked and the blonde nodded. The other girl leaned against the doorframe and obviously undressed Theo with her eyes which rubbed Liam in a wrong way. He pressed Sadie the box into the hand when Theo stepped out of the room, smiled at his boyfriend who immediately smiled back, and then Liam put a hand in the back of Theo’s neck and pulled him into a hot, open-mounded kiss that clearly stated his possession. _His mate, his boyfriend, his Theo!_  
Theo’s surprised moan was swallowed by the kiss and Sadie grabbed the bag he had been holding before it fell to the floor so Theo could wrap his arms around Liam’s waist and respond to the kiss in an appropriate manner. Their tongues tangled with each other and bodies pressed against each other, the mated couple kind of lost track of where they were until Sadie cleared her throat. It worked like a cold shower and Liam stopped kissing Theo and pulled away, blinking back to reality. Sadie giggled and Theo and Liam looked at each other and smiled after they overcame the initial embarrassment. It was easy to forget where they were when together. The girl behind them sighed something the line of “All pretty guys are gay.” and disappeared into her room. Sadie held out the box and the bag for her two Alphas and both took it from her.  
“You really forgot where you were, huh?” She asked amusedly.   
The Alpha couple nodded and she just grinned before pulling the door to her old dorm room shut. “I want to find a love like that one day too. You two are lucky.”  
“Sadie, have you seen my mate? I never doubted I got lucky.” Liam said and his eyes twinkled when he saw the happy smile from Theo.

******  
“Want to hear something funny? I actually thought Sadie and Maya were in a relationship similar to us.” Theo said and Liam looked up from where he had leaned over the freezer to grab a chicken. This time Theo had accompanied him to grocery shopping and now the chimera leaned against their shopping cart while Liam was loading the cart up. 

“I’m pretty sure all out Betas are about to be in relationships with each other.” Liam said, put the chicken in their shopping cart and closed the freezer. Upon Theo’s confused look he elaborated. “Maya and Sadie hit off right away, Sadie and Mike are like us, but Mike and Tim also share some resemblances to us, while Ever and Nolan are also about to are whatever they are, the three girls are basically always around each other, just watch them, you will see basically everyone is with everyone or could be with anyone sooner or later.”  
“When are you thinking about this?” Theo asked while he pushed the cart after Liam. Liam shrugged.  
“I’m watching them.”  
“And you couldn’t care less?”  
“As long as they are happy. Why? Would you care?”  
“No. Like you said, as long as they are happy, it’s good.”  
“I mean, it’s far from normal but this pack is anything but normal. I have you, I want them to find the love of their lives too. With each other, with others, whatever.”  Liam stopped at another freezer and opened it to dig down deep inside and grabbed a bag of frozen broccoli. Theo chuckled at the sight in front of him. “Need help, shorty?”  
“Fuck you, you’re not that much taller than me!”

Liam yelped when Theo was suddenly right behind him and pulled him flush against his body by his hips. “I’d like to get back to the **fuck you** part later on. When we’re safely in my truck.” He whispered into Liam’s ear and sucked on the earlobe.   
Liam shivered and leaned against Theo. “You’re driving me insane, Dore.” He mumbled and closed his eyes.  
Theo chuckled into his ear.  
“Good.” He said and gave Liam's ass a light slap before letting him go again. Liam was grateful for the cold bag of vegetable he was still carrying, it helped him cool down a bit. He put it in the cart and then pulled the cart further down the aisles. Now he had a motivation to finish shopping faster.

But when he passed the fridges with the milk, Liam tensed slightly. He had not forgotten what he had seen last time. Or thought he had seen, he wasn’t so sure. A part of him was anxious to see it again and he cast a shy glance at his reflection. Everything was normal and he let out a relieved breath. Theo seemed to have noticed because he stepped closer and put a hand on Liam’s back. “You okay?”  
Liam nodded with a soft smile. “Yeah, don’t worry.”  
Theo gave him a look but then seemed to buy what Liam told him and just kissed his cheek. Liam smiled at him. “I love you.”  
It made Theo smile and really, that was everything Liam needed. 

******  
Liam sat cross-legged on the floor and watched Ever. They were in the living room again and she was experimenting with mountain ash once more. Liam watched her moving around the room, mumbling to herself and making some notes. Not that he could do anything else since he was once more captured in a ring of mountain ash.  ”You know, nobody expects you to make it happen right this very minute, Ever. Don’t put yourself under so much pressure, okay?” He said softly and she pulled her hair into a bun and sighed. 

 “I know but I really want it to work. I know there is a way, I just need to find it.” Ever was stubborn when it came to her magic. Liam admired it to some point, but he also worried she was putting too much on her plate. Hence why he was around when she did it. Better he was there to help if something went wrong than when she did it by herself.  
“You will make it work but please, Ever, don’t overwhelm yourself with it, okay?” He pleaded her and she nodded. Liam was satisfied with this for now. “Want to try again?”

Ever nodded again and rubbed her hands. Liam got to his feet and she concentrated on the ring of mountain ash between her and Liam. She narrowed her eyes again and moved her hands, just like she did last time, and again the blue shimmer appeared and maybe it was just wishful thinking but this time it seemed brighter than last time. The Alpha looked at his witch, how concentrated she was. He had a good feeling this time and when Ever looked at him and curtly nodded, he stepped forward, confident to cross the border.

The bang was deafening and sounded through the whole house, alerted the rest of the pack who happen to just come home at this very minute, and Liam was pushed back with even more force than last time and collided with the opposing wall. He groaned when he hit the floor and then Theo was suddenly right next to him. “The hell are you doing here?” He yelled and glared at Ever who had landed on her butt. Maya and Tim kneeled next to her, checked her for injuries, and she looked at Theo with a worried look on her face because the second Alpha was furious.   
“What the hell was that supposed to be? Did you want to kill our Alpha?” He shouted at her and Liam raised a hand to put on his arm.  
“Theo, calm down, I offered my help.”  
Theo glared at him.. “I’m not even surprised by that, you have a tendency to do reckless and stupid things because you want to help! But she should have never accepted it.”    
“Theodore!” Liam cut in, eyes flashing red. “Ever told me was she was trying to do and I offered my help. It wasn’t her fault! Leave her alone.” He raised a hand to Theo’s cheek. “It’s okay, I’m fine, nothing happened.” He assured his mate and Theo leaned into the touch and nodded slowly.   
He looked over at Ever. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head and Theo pulled Liam to his feet. 

“What was the use of this exercise anyway?” The twenty-two-year-old asked and eyed the mountain ash on the ground.   
“I am trying to change the enchantment of the mountain ash so supernaturals can cross it.” Ever explained and got to her feet while dusting her hands off. Theo frowned. “That’s not possible.”  
“Says the chimera.” Liam muttered and Theo put on arm around him to pull him closer. “No interjections, puppy!” He scolded playfully and bit down in Liam’s earlobe. Not enough to hurt him but enough to tease the Alpha. Liam groaned and turned his head to capture Theo’s lips with his to give him a quick kiss. “Guess you have to educate me on this one again.” He teased back and Theo’s eyes flashed gold for a moment. He grinned and Liam smirked back before he stepped towards the rest of his pack. And that’s when Tim gasped and pointed at the ground.   
“Liam, the barrier!”  
Liam looked down and noticed the mountain ash ring still intact but yet he had been able to cross it. He looked up to see Ever gape at the ash on the ground just like the rest of the pack but then she squealed. “I did it!”  
“You did it!” Liam exclaimed proudly and she hugged him in her joy.   
“Thank you so much, Lee, I would have never done this without you!”  
“I want to try that too!” Maya said and then jumped over the barrier. It didn’t keep her away and she did it several times, like a little kid. “Oh, this is cool!”

“So, you managed to discharge the mountain ash and turn it into normal ash we can cross. That means the bang we heard was the energy you extracted from the ash. That being said, you now need to find a way to bleed off the remaining energy because if it happens with such a force every time there is literally no use in having it because the surprise effect is destroyed.” Sadie concluded and everyone looked at her. “That means you need some kind of earth wire.”   
“As someone who once had lightning rush through him, I highly recommend searching for an earth wire. That shit hurts.” Theo put in his own two cents and Nolan gave him a look. “Is there anything that didn’t happen to you?”  
“Well, the lightning thing was kind of my fault.” Liam admitted. Theo gave him an amused look. “That’s a first for you to admit that.”  
Liam stuck out his tongue at his mate and made everyone laugh.   
“Okay, I’m going to find a way to bleed off the energy. Without blowing everything up.” Ever summed it up.   
“I’ll help you.” Maya offered. “Liam did the first part, now I’ll help you.”  
“Just be careful, okay? I know Ever can do it but I don’t want anybody get hurt.” Liam told them once again.   
Theo scoffed. “Says the one who offered to help in the first place.”

Liam slapped his boyfriend’s shoulder but was had been supposed to be a light slap ended up with way more force than intended. Liam gasped in shock. “Oh my god, I’m sorry!”  
Theo held his shoulder and stared at Liam but while Liam was completely shocked by the unexpected power, Theo was more amused. “Damn, Alpha, keep your strength in check.” He teased and pulled Liam into a soft hug. “Don’t make that face, puppy, we’re a pack of weres, that happens.”   
“Yeah but I...I thought I had my strength in check.” Liam really had absolutely no idea what led him to use more force than necessary since he had by no means wanted to hurt Theo.   
“It’s okay, Lee, relax.” Theo muttered into his ear and kissed the shell softly. Liam leaned against him but he didn’t really relax.   
“I’m still sorry.” He whispered and Theo squeezed him lovingly.   
“I know you are, baby.”

He let Liam go from his embrace and Liam smiled weakly before making his way upstairs and into their shared bedroom. He grabbed the Alpha journal and sat at the end of the bed before he flipped the journal open and flipped through some pages, maybe he would find something there to explain the strange things happening lately. Over time Liam learned to trust his gut feeling and right now his gut feeling was telling him something was going on.

The bed dipped next to him and Theo sat down. “Hey, you okay?” He inquired while he stroked over Liam’s back.   
Liam looked up and sighed. “I don’t know. I mean, I feel fine, everything is going smoothly right now but I still feel there is something going on.”  
“A new threat?” Theo questioned and Liam shook his head.  
“No. Something with me.” He bit his lower lip. “Last time, when I was grocery shopping alone, I passed my reflection and it looked as if a wolf was walking there instead of my human form. When I checked again everything was back to normal but then I got home and had a very strange dream and now the sudden force...I don’t know what to think about this.”  
“What was your dream about? You said it wasn’t a nightmare but it was strange. What did you dream off?”  
Liam exhaled loudly. “I was in a complete dark and empty space and I heard my voice, reciting things I said over the years. Things like ‘We lost everything’ or ‘It stills hurts, though’. I don’t know....” Liam shrugged helplessly.

Theo never stopped stroking his back and the face he made gave away he was already thinking about what Liam had said, interpreting things and trying to make sense of it. “You’re stressed about Christmas and the Scott situation, right?” He finally said and Liam groaned and fell back on the bed, hands scrubbing over his face.   
“I can’t help myself and I try to tell myself everytime that it all will work out just fine, that Scott will understand and all, but it’s not really working.”  
“Liam, have you ever considered your wolf simply shows up to tell you to take a deep breath and just relax? But since you’re obviously not listening, he’s using a bit more force? Literally. “ Theo suggested.  
Liam peeked up at him. “You think?”  
“Since you started to work with your wolf as a team he did nothing else than to protect you. Wendigos, hunters, Alpha werewolf, and maybe now he protects you from your own mind because we both know you tend to think too much about certain things.”   
Liam knew Theo was right. Thinking too much was a weakness from him but also directly linked to one of his strongest traits, his big heart. He only thought too much about things that were important to him. 

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at Theo. “Okay, so, how do I take my mind off?” He asked his boyfriend.  
“Well.” Theo said and stroked over the tattoo that peeked out from under Liam’s sleeve. “You could accompany me to the tattoo parlor where you got this done.” He suggested and Liam immediately raised to attention.   
“You want to get your tattoo done now?”  
“Our tattoo. I thought you wanted the same.”  
“You really want a couple tattoo? With me?”  
“No, I want one with Mike. You are just my mate, Mike and I are skater buddies. This is so much stronger than our mating bond. Why should I want a tattoo with my mate? Don’t be ridiculous, Liam Emerson.” 

His mate’s sarcasm made Liam roll his eyes but he got to his feet. “Why do I bother with you?”   
Theo got up from the bed too and in a swift motion, he crowded Liam against the opposite wall, trapping him between his arms, his body, and the wall. “Because I do this.” He stated and dipped his head to suck on Liam’s neck. Liam moaned softly and arched against Theo’s body. “And because I do this.” Theo licked over the mark he just had sucked into Liam’s skin. “Because I do this.” He sucked on Liam’s earlobe. “And this.” He licked over Liam’s lips before he kissed him for real. When he pulled away, his eyes sparkled and Liam’s cheeks were flushed.   
“Tease.” The Alpha complained. But he was grateful Theo distracted him. He now wrapped his arms around the chimera’s waist. “Hey, I don’t want the Betas to know something is going on, okay? Just keep it between you and me. Don’t want them to worry.”  
Theo nodded and kissed Liam’s forehead. “Okay. But I am happy you confided in me.”   
“I don’t want to worry either but I can’t lie to you.”  
“I will always worry, I’m your mate, that’s natural, but I will worry even more when I feel there is something you’re not telling me. So tell me everything that bothers you and we will work on it together and I will do the same. Deal?”  
Liam smiled. “Deal.”

Theo took his hand and pulled Liam out of their room and down the stairs where they slipped into their coats and put on their shoes. “We will be gone for a while, don’t torch the house!” Theo called to the Betas mingling in the living room. Liam heard their indignant squeaks that Theo should have more faith in them and laughed while Theo pulled him out of the house and towards his truck in the driveway. 

The whole drive to the tattoo parlor, the couple kept their hands interlaced and even when they entered the parlor, they didn’t let go of each other. Kiki spotted them and came to greet them.   
“The young Alpha and he brought a friend.”  
“Kiki, this is Theo, the artist of my first tattoo.”  
“Ah, your roommate.”  
“And now boyfriend.” Liam said and raised their interlaced hands. Kiki looked at them both and Theo waved at her and then she smirked.  
“A part of me wants to ask who I can gratulate to the better-looking boyfriend.” She joked.  
“Me.” Liam said. “I’m just cute but he is...” He motioned to Theo’s whole being and the chimera grinned.   
“Always so modest, honey.”  
The nickname made Liam’s heart sped up which was ridiculous but he loved the fond way Theo said it. Theo now looked at him and squeezed his hand softly. Liam smiled at his mate and then Kiki went down to business.  
“I guess you’re here because you want something, right?”

******  
Theo looked at his arm where the tattoo was now burned into his skin. The two paw prints were located shortly under the crook of the left arm and he loved it. Liam himself had chosen the inside of his left upper arm for the paw prints and it had hurt slightly less than his first tattoo. Now he had the paw prints close to his heart and the simple thought made him smile. 

“Happy?” He asked Theo and the chimera nodded. He looked at Liam and his eyes sparkled with happiness before he leaned over and kissed his mate. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Liam said softly and when Theo pulled away, he chased after his boyfriend and then simply crawled over so he was straddling Theo in the driver’s seat. Theo’s arms winded around Liam’s waist and the couple kissed again. Liam’s hands ran through the hair in the back of Theo’s neck and he deepened the kiss when he parted his lips and allowed Theo’s tongue to slip into his mouth.  
Liam moaned into the kiss, especially when he felt Theo’s hands slip under his shirt and stroke over his back, and he pressed closer to his partner. He wanted to cherish this as long as he could. But a sudden knock at the window interrupted them and the couple broke apart. A police officer stood next to the truck, an amused smile on his face. “Not here, boys, not here.” He scolded them with a laugh and Liam blushed.  
“Uhm, thank you, we will leave, officer.” He called out and Theo laughed. He gave Liam a light pat on his ass before the Alpha slipped into the passenger seat again and buckled up so they both could drive home.  

That Liam sucked his boyfriend off on the drive home and that they spent several minutes making out pressed against Theo’s truck once they finally parked in the driveway and left the car was something between them only (and the catcalls from the pack were ignored and/or flipped off).

******  
“I have too many clothes.” Sadie discovered and put her hands on her hips while watching her room. Her usual clean and tidy room looked like her wardrobe sneezed, clothes were scattered everywhere and her suitcase was half unpacked.

“A fault confessed is half redressed.” Mike commented precociously from the doorframe. She ignored him and grabbed some clothes to fold them and put in her suitcase.

“Sadie, we’re only spending two days in New York. Well, three if you count Friday when we’re flying too but still! That’s a weekend. You don’t need that many clothes!” Liam said kind of shocked. He stayed outside the room, not daring to go in there any further. 

Theo stepped behind Liam and put his chin on his mate’s shoulder. “You are aware this is a debate you can’t win, right?” He asked with a light chuckle and Liam had to chuckle too. Theo was probably right. Sadie meanwhile unpacked her whole suitcase and started anew. For the fifth time. 

“We don’t have a real plan for New York, so I need dresses in case we’re going somewhere more chic like a restaurant, but I also need jeans and sneakers for sightseeing and shopping. And I need a few jackets depending where we’re going and if it’s overheated in there or not, I don’t want to sweat or freeze.” She explained to Maya and Ever who sat on her bed.   
Maya just nodded. “Makes absolute sense.” She said dryly.  
Liam chuckled. “Okay, you pack whatever you need to pack but need to pay in case of excess luggage.”   
“Yadda yadda.” Sadie said and held out two red dresses. “Which one?” She asked the pack and Liam took it as his cue to disappear. He really wasn’t good with fashion and rather just curled into bed with the Alpha journal. Theo joined him sometime later.  
“I helped her with the dresses but then she asked what kind of makeup bag she should take and then I left.” He told Liam and the Alpha snorted. “Typical Sadie!”

******  
Liam and Theo sat on the kitchen table and sipped their coffee while their Betas were mingling on the first floor. The Alpha couple had gotten up early and got ready, relishing in the quiet of the morning, before the Betas woke up and the hectic started. They were like little children, all walking in and out of their rooms, packing things last minute, fighting over whose time it was in the bathroom, getting ready and being busy bees in general and their Alphas sat one floor below them and had their coffees. 

“It’s not even six o’clock, remind me again why we needed to get up that early?” Theo asked.  
“Because of the flight. I’m just following Mike’s timetable. I don’t even know which airline we have but if the pups above us don’t pick up the pace, we will be late for sure.” Liam replied and yelled the end of his sentence upwards so they could hear their Alpha.   
A thud sounded up and Liam sighed. “I’m okay, I just fell but didn’t break anything!” Nolan called out and Liam sighed again.   
“You do realize you just called them pups?” Theo asked his mate and drank the last bit from his coffee. He smirked at Liam who shrugged.  
“They currently behave like pups, so yeah. Pups.”  
“Cute, Alpha puppy.” Theo retorted and kissed Liam’s cheek while he picked up their empty cups and carried them over to the sink to clean them. Isaac would watch the house while they were away but the still intended to leave it as clean as possible. 

Liam stretched in his seat and looked out the window, watched the snowflakes falling lazily to the ground. “Would you have imagined ending your year like this? With a pack, in a pack house, and as First Beta?” He asked.  
Theo laughed while he dried the mugs and put them in the cupboard. “If someone had told me last December I would be your first Beta and you would be the Alpha, we would have a whole new pack, a new house, and we would have been mated, I would have checked them into Eichen house.”   
Liam turned his head and looked at him before got up and walked over to Theo. “I’m happy it turned out the way it turned out.” He muttered and wrapped his arms around Theo’s  waist. Theo hugged him back and pulled him closer.  
“Me too.” He said before they kissed. “Think we have time for a quickie?” He asked with a smirk, right when the Betas scattered into the kitchen.  
“No quickie, we can go!” Mike called out.   
“Finally!” Theo muttered and Liam grinned, pecked his mate’s lips one last time, and then walked out of the kitchen and towards the front door. 

They all got dressed and the stepped outside, waiting for the big cab that would drive them to the airport. It arrived just a few minutes later and they loaded their bags into the trunk before they finally sat inside and drove towards the airport. “I am so excited!” Ever sang and thus a chorus started of everybody exclaiming how excited they were too.

Upon arriving and entering the departure hall, Liam looked at Mike. “Okay, which airline counter do we need, Mikey?”  
“None, we’re not flying with an airline.” Mike said and motioned for them to follow. He led them through the hall and suddenly it dawned Sadie.   
“Don’t say we’re flying with...Mikey, really?” She asked ecstatically.   
“With my parents private jet, yes.” Mike finished her sentence and she whooped.   
“Whoa, Mike, hold on a second, a private jet?” Liam asked flabbergasted. “Don’t you think this is a bit too much?”  
“I always use my parents private jet. It’s what it’s made for, Liam.” Mike said while the rest of the pack already dashed into the direction Mike pointed to.   
“I know what a private jet is made for but I’m serious, Mike. You don’t need all that money and the luxurious stuff to make us like you. Just remember that, okay? We are your real family, we don’t leave, no matter if you’re rich or if you’re broke. We will always stick with you.”  
Mike looked at his Alpha and sighed softly. “I know, it’s just hard. Most people around me just are nice to my money, so it’s difficult to change my behavior. But I will try to tone it down a notch or two in the future. I know you all like me for me.”  
Liam nodded with a smile. “Good.”  
“But come on, a private jet is fine. Just enjoy it, okay?”

“Yeah...Okay.” Liam had to admit the aspect of a private jet got him excited and he curiously followed the rest of the pack into the car that brought them onto the operating airfield and to the white private jet. It looked bigger than Liam imagined it and he was kind of intimidated by the luxury upon entering. Everything was mahogany and leather and everything was twinkling and crispy clean. There even was a stewardess who greeted them friendly and hugged Mike. 

“I am speechless. And Sadie looks like she belongs here.” Maya commented.  
“Because I do. Part of my ten-year-plan. Owning a private jet when I’m thirty.” Sadie replied and made herself a home in her seat.   
They all took their seats and Liam let Theo have the window seat. The chimera had only been in an airplane twice, when Liam, Scott and he had visited a pack in Boston and then flew back, so Liam knew Theo was excited about it. And that it was now a private jet only made him more excited. He beamed at Liam and Liam smiled back and laced their fingers together. 

The stewardess (”Call me Lucy.”) was serving them coffee and even some breakfast and the pack happily dug in the scrambled eggs and the bacon. And even the pilot Paul greeted them and stayed for a little chit-chat with Mike before he returned to the cockpit. And then the jet finally started to move. Theo curiously peeked outside and squeezed Liam’s hand when the jet finally took off. The Betas cheered and talked for a while but when the jet was in the sky for a while, it turned quiet and they more or less either listened to music, read or slept. Liam himself had his head against Theo’s shoulder and soon after takeoff, he was fast asleep too. 

_The forest was snowy and big snowflakes were still falling to the ground. The winter sun made the snow sparkle and gave everything quite a magical touch. Liam smiled, this was beautiful and he almost missed the light brown wolf in the white environment. The wolf, Liam’s wolf, was happily playing around in the snow, yipping happily when his paws flung snow in the air and Liam chuckled. Seeing his inner animal so happy gave him a good feeling._

_And then the black wolf appeared. Theo’s wolf. He made his way over to Liam’s wolf and the brown wolf stopped playing in the snow and tilted his head. Both wolves were now in front of each other and rubbed their heads against each other in a loving manner, scented each other. It was truly magical, having them being so soft with each other and the snow slowly falling on them._

_And then Theo’s wolf raised a paw and put it on the head of Liam’s wolf almost as if he was tagging him. He barked happily and then spun around to run away, Liam’s wolf hot on his tail. Liam chuckled. Cute, silly wolves, playing around the snow._

_His wolf was chasing Theo for a while and when he finally got him, he jumped him and they rolled around until he pinned Theo to the ground. The black wolf howled happily and then bared his neck, submitting to his Alpha mate. Liam’s wolf leaned down and scented his throat before he curled up with his mate. He put his head on Theo’s back and when he looked at Liam, his eyes flashed red and Liam was sure he saw his inner animal smile._

Liam woke up again and blinked. He slowly raised his head from Theo’s shoulder and noticed his mate waking up again too. He looked at Theo and smiled and Theo noticed his glance and smiled back. “The same dream?” He inquired and it surprised Liam.  
“The wolves in the snow?” He asked and Theo nodded. Liam beamed at him and now he was the one who nodded. “Yeah.”  
The couple laughed together and then they kissed lovingly. Maybe it was the mating bond that brought them the same dream or their connection as anchors, but it was a really nice aspect. 

Liam leaned against Theo and they both looked out the window. “The world looks so small, I love that.” Liam said with a giggle. “I love traveling.”  
“I know.” Theo said with a laugh. “Is there any destination where you would like to go? No matter money or time.” He asked his boyfriend and Liam didn’t even need to think twice.   
“Hawaii.” He replied. “I like the culture, I like the music. When I was a baby my mom used to play a CD  with Hawaiian music in my room and I slept peacefully. So Hawaii would be amazing. What about you? If you could go anywhere, where would you go?”  
“Japan.” Theo said after a little while. “Also because of the culture. I like the way they are so modern and crazy but also so traditional and elegant.”   
“Oh boy, your honeymoon will truly be something else. Hawaii and Japan? That will be interesting.” Maya joked and her Alphas laughed.   
“Maybe one day we will go there. Maybe not for our honeymoon though because that would be way too expensive.” Liam appeased. 

“Funny, I would have pictured Liam and Theo spending their honeymoon either in Paris or in Rome.” Tim said thoughtfully.  
“Why there?” Maya inquired with a scrunched nose.  
“Because it is Europa and somehow it seemed like a good fit for both of them.” Tim explained his idea.   
“Hm, both sound like good ideas too.” Theo said and Liam had to agree.  
“There are so many destinations I want to see during my life. Not only for our honeymoon but this pack surely will travel to some of them too.Together, I mean. New York today, tomorrow the world.” Liam joked. Theo, Maya, and Tim laughed.   
“That’s a plan I’m sure everybody can get behind.” Maya said lightheartedly.

Liam smiled and then pulled out a notepad and a pen. The pack had really decided on doing a Secret Santa and once they arrived at the hotel they would draw the names to maybe already do a little Christmas shopping in New York but he also needed presents for his parents, Theo, Lana, Byron, and Mason. That was the deal. The best friend and the mate also got presents and the former Alpha couple would spend the holidays with Liam and Theo so of course, they needed presents for them too. Time to make a list. Liam usually hated lists but he knew he would feel more organized if he had this.

“You have such a scrawl. What is a libertion hat?” Theo asked who curiously watched what Liam was writing down.   
Liam squawked.  “I can read it and this says Statue of Liberty. Mason once said he wants a little Statue of Liberty when one of us ever visits New York. It’s part of his gift.”  
Theo pulled Liam’s list towards himself and Liam silently thanked himself that he left the present for Theo open. He had an idea but wanted to surprise his boyfriend. Obviously. “There is no way this is Statue of Liberty. Where is the S? The rest of the word?”  
“There! This is the Statue and that is of Liberty.”   
“That’s not Statue, that’s a squiggle.”  
Liam rolled his eyes. “Are you done criticizing my handwriting?”  
“No. This is fun.” Theo grinned and Liam groaned. “You’re an asshole.”  
“You love me anyway.”

“Well, if you think you’re handwriting is better, here, show me!” Liam prompted and held out the pen to Theo. Theo took it and wrote down Statue of Liberty in nice sculptured letters. He smirked at Liam who rolled his eyes again.   
“Showoff.” Liam mumbled and took the pen back from Theo. “I have the nicer signature. Yours always looks so stowed, as if you were afraid to use the whole space.”  
“And yours looks like a three-year-old tried to write.” Theo fired back and when Liam glared at him, he kissed the Alpha’s nose.   
“Stop arguing with me.” Liam muttered.  
“No. It’s fun.” Theo gave back and chuckled.   
Liam rubbed his nose and the chimera chuckled again. “Puppy, are you mad at me now?” 

“Nope.” Liam said and wrote something on the paper again. He put his best effort in and when he looked at what he had written, he was quite proud. “Looks quite nice, don’t you think?” He showed Theo the paper where he had written _Liam Raeken_ in his neatest handwriting. Theo looked at it for a while, then he swallowed. “Great combination.”   
And just to test it he wrote _Theo Dunbar_ in his own handwriting. Liam smiled. “Also a very great combination.” He praised and Theo chuckle. Liam wrote down _Liam Dunbar-Raeken_ , just to test it and Theo replied with _Theo Raeken-Dunbar_.   
“The double names look kind of weird.” He muttered and Liam had to agree. “Maybe we will change our mind when the day to decide is finally there.” He said and rubbed his cheek against Theo’s, scented him. Theo hummed his approval and turned his head to kiss Liam’s cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too. But since we’re already talking about marriage, what kind of rings do you want? What material?” Liam curiously asked.  
“I’m not a typical gold fan, neither rose gold. But maybe white gold or silver? Though silver would be kind of cliché for two werewolves, huh?”  
Liam snickered. “Maybe. But white gold is a good idea. I would have said the same.” 

It was nice to talk about those things when they were not urgent at this very minute and they could discuss this without any pressure. They were already mated, far more binding than a normal marriage, but knowing that Theo still wanted to marry him was just making Liam love him even more. 

He snuggled closer to Theo. “This will be a great weekend.”   
“I’m sure of that.” Theo said with a soft smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple tattoos. Now a thing with Thiam. I thought it would fit them both, to deepen their connection even further and have something nobody else has and can erase.   
> Anyway: Next stop, New York! I am excited about that.
> 
> I wish all of you a Happy New Year 2018! May it be the year your wishes come true and the year you reach every goal you have!! ♥♥♥


	23. Welcome to New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack lands in New York and spends their first day there. Pack shenanigans ensue.

“I still can’t believe we’re here!” Tim exclaimed while he was more or less plastered against the window of the cab that brought them to their hotel.   
Liam sat on the other side and was just as excited as Tim. New York was impressive, the streets were so crowded and it itched him to jump out of the cab and go exploring. But the rational part of him knew they had to get their room keys and bring their luggage into their rooms and then they could venture out into the city. “What did Mikey say is the name of the hotel?” He asked.   
“He didn’t say anything but since we all know him, it’s quite impressive and luxurious.” Theo next to Liam joked. “I was actually surprised there wasn’t a limousine waiting for us at the airport.”  
Mike ducked his head and turned to look at Theo. “I hate limousines and it’s bad enough we need one to get to the gala. And the hotel is what my parents booked in exchange for me attending the gala, so I can’t really influence that. So it will probably pompous. Maybe now a bit less since you’re all with me.” He explained and rolled his eyes.  
“I’m still curious about the hotel, though.” Ever muttered and tugged at her scarf. Just like in Seattle, it had snowed in New York but stopped now and the sky was cloudless, bright blue and the sun was shining on the snowy town. 

Given the traffic in New York, they reached the hotel relatively fast. It had a red carpet with a golden border down the middle of the stairs and a doorman stood there to open the door for them and greet them friendly. Liam had never been to such a hotel and he smiled shyly and felt out of place. The entrance hall was big, floored with black marble and two big stairs leading to the elevators above the reception. There were chandeliers on the ceiling and the big reception desk was made from redwood and highly polished. Three receptionists were behind it and one of them gave them a friendly look when they entered. 

“Booking for Archibald and friends.” Mike said and the receptionist typed on his computer and nodded.  “I need you to sign those, one for each room.” He said and Liam stepped next to Mike to take a look and then signed for his and Theo’s room. Ever did it for the room she and the two other girls shared and Mike, Tim and Nolan also shared one room. When they finally got their keys, the Betas were overjoyed to realize they all had rooms next to each other.   
“We can visit each other!” Sadie said happily.  
“This is not a class trip.” Theo said with a laugh and jumped when she almost dropped her suitcase on his foot. The elevator was usually quite big but with Sadie’s big suitcase it got crowded. Liam took one look inside and grimaced. “Yeah, I’ll walk.” He said and stepped back to not even get dragged into the crowded space.   
“Oh no, we all can fit.” Ever actually stepped out to pull their Alpha back into the elevator. Liam grimaced again. He really wasn’t a fan of crowded spaces.

The elevator doors closed behind them and the elevator started making its way upward.   
“Given what Mason and Corey told me, elevators are just your thing.” Nolan joked in the direction of Liam and Theo and they both looked at each other.   
“You could say that.” Theo finally conceded.   
Liam chuckled. It was quite miraculous how their bonding moments seemed to involve an elevator. He winked at Theo and the chimera laughed.  
The elevator finally stopped and they could step outside. Sadie pulled her suitcase after her and Maya almost fell over it. “Maya, it is big, it is purple, how can you fall over it?” Sadie asked with a raised eyebrow.  
“It’s bulky and in my way.” Maya replied and made a point of walking in front of Sadie and behind Ever who had the key to their room. She followed the hallway and looked at the room numbers until she stopped in front of one room. “There it is.”

The guys passed her and opened their own rooms. Liam heard his Betas call out in joy and swooning how great the room looked and when he opened the door and stepped inside, he understood why. The room itself had bright carpet with red and grey forms on it and the furniture was kept in black wood with silver elements. A big window was giving a great view of Central Park from the big queen-size-bed which was kept in simple white sheets but had red pillows and a red bedcover at the end of the bed. 

“Wow.” Liam called out. He had inspected some more pompous, more gold and ruffles and all but this was tasty and modern. He opened the sliding door to the bathroom and it was just as modern as the bedroom, even though the ruling color here was white and silver instead of black. It had a big walk-in shower with two shower heads, a big freestanding bathtub and between shower and bathtub was the modern looking toilet. The basins, two in total, were on the opposite wall and the whole wall itself was a giant mirror. 

Theo let his bag fall to the floor and walked over to the window. “Look at this view!” He said, completely astonished.   
Liam walked out of the bathroom and looked at Theo before he grabbed his cellphone and took a picture of Theo in front of the view. “Too breathtaking not to snap it.” He said and looked at the picture. Satisfied with how it turned out, he walked over to Theo and wrapped his arms around Theo’s waist from behind. “New York. With our own pack.” He muttered.  
“New York with our own pack.” Theo repeated and smiled. “Never would have believed we could say that”  
“Me neither.” Liam admitted and kissed Theo’s neck. “I love you.”  
“I love you too.” Theo replied.

A knock on the door and they heard their Betas calling out for them, so they broke away from each other and Liam opened the door. “Can we go exploring?” Tim asked, eyes wide and he reminded Liam of a little kid. They all reminded him of that currently, even Theo and himself, and so he nodded with a smile. Theo grabbed their room key and then the whole pack left and took the elevator downstairs. 

“We have still a lot of time before Tim and I have to get ready for the gala, so Central Park?” Mike suggested. It wasn’t far from their hotel and they could walk and that’s exactly what they did. Even walking in the streets of this busy city was truly something else. Seattle was a small town by any means but it was far cozier than New York. Liam like the husting. 

When they finally reached the park, Liam stopped and took a look around. Sadie was in full paparazzi mode, almost constantly making pictures with her cell phone, either selfies or pictures of her pack mates. The Betas posed and made silly faces and Liam almost missed her pointing the phone at him because he had been too busy admiring the beauty that Central Park was. He had seen this park in so many movies and finally, he was here and it was even bigger and better than he imagined.

“Smile.” Theo said and pulled him out of his thoughts and then Theo kissed his cheek and the flash of Sadie’s phone went off. “Beautiful.” She praised while she reviewed the picture. Liam smiled softly and walked over to take a look himself. It was a truly nice picture of him smiling while Theo was kissing his cheek in a loving manner, the sun shining down on them in the snowy park.   
“Send me the picture please?”  
“Already on it.” Sadie said and typed on her phone to send Liam the requested picture.   
Liam saves it on his phone and pocketed his phone again before he followed Maya, Mike, and Tim who were already strolling down the park. The longer they walked, the more corners and places they found which were truly beautiful and quiet, even in such a busy city like New York. 

“Why didn’t we move to New York after graduation?” Theo asked at one point and Liam gave him an amused look. “Because neither NYU nor Columbia offered what we wanted to study.” He answered.  
Theo huffed. “Hm, true. But still, this city is great.”  
Liam nodded. “Yeah, agreed.”

“Speaking of studying, do you still want to change your major? It kind of faded into obscurity after everything that happened in the last months.” The chimera asked while he laced his fingers with Liam’s and they walked behind their Betas.   
Liam sighed and looked around. “I have no idea, to be honest. I feel like it’s not what I want to do but I don’t know what I want to do instead and so I kind of thought I could stick with it instead of throwing all away. That way I have a degree safe.”  
“But, Liam, there is no use in doing something you really don’t want to do.”  
“I know but what else am I supposed to do? I have no idea what I would rather do, history is a safe option then. Doesn’t mean I’m not looking for something else.” Liam said and he squeezed Theo’s hand. “It’s good to know that whatever I decide on, you guys have my back.” He said with a soft sigh and Theo squeezed his hand back.   
“Always, Lee.”

Liam’s stomach grumbled. They were in the park for some hours already and since the only thing he ate today was the breakfast during the flight, he was almost starving right now. Their Betas returned and Ever asked with a suffering look: “Can we eat something? Otherwise, I have to nibble on one of you.”  
“Pizza!” Mike said. “No stay in The Big Apple without real New Yorker Pizza! Come on, I’ll show you the best pizzeria around.”   
Before the pack could even protest, Mike started walking and led them out of the park and to the subway. “Also something you have to do in New York: Ride the subway.” He said with a grin and he seemed so excited about having his pack here and explaining things to them, it made Liam smile and Theo squeeze Mike’s shoulder in silent support. Especially the latter coaxed a big smile out of Mike. Liam knew Mike liked and admired him but Theo’s approval meant even more to him. The two of them were alike and it had been Theo who convinced Mike to listen in the first place, so Liam had really no problem with this. In fact, he liked that his Betas viewed Theo as Alpha too and respected him like that. The older deserved this because he had done so much to show he was a good person and Theo was truly a good person, so he deserved this treatment. 

The subway brought them to another station and Mike led the pack out of the subway and right across the street into a very small pizzeria. There were only four tables inside but it had lots and lots of pictures from Italy and old New York on the walls, fake grape leaves hanging from the walls and Liam hated to say but it looked so tacky but it was clean and that’s what he cared the most about. And the menu looked good. Mike gave some recommendations on the pizza and they ordered. When they finally got their pizzas, Liam rarely had seen something bigger or greasier than this.  
“Lucky we are werewolves, otherwise this would give us a heart disease.” Tim said after he took the first few bites.  
“This is the greasiest thing I ever ate and I love it.” Theo said, happily munching his pizza.   
“Yeah, the human likes it too and hopes he doesn’t get a heart attack from that.” Nolan muttered and plucked a piece of pepper from his pizza.   
Since he sat right next to Liam, the Alpha caught a whiff of the sadness coming from Nolan and noticed his slightly resigned tone. He carefully nudged him. 

“You okay?”

Liam kept his voice low so the other could chat and he could still talk with Nolan without having the others noticing. Maybe Nolan needed some private talk. The hunter started ripping his napkin apart.

“Had a fight with Alec yesterday.” He told Liam. “He called last night and asked what was going on with you since you were acting so strange lately. Told him if he had questions regarding you, he should call you since I’m not your media spokesperson.” Nolan sighed. “Maybe I should have not told him that I lived with Isaac or that I was part of your pack too and not Scott’s pack anymore. That obviously was too much new information and he wasn’t really happy about that. And yeah, we fought and then he all of sudden accused me of deserting him and lying to him and then I hung up.”

Liam distorted his mouth. “I’m sorry to hear that. But maybe having radio silence for a while is a good thing. You two are friends, a few days without talking can really help you calm down and when you talk next time, everything will be forgotten.”

Nolan shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. It’s strange between us since a few months. Don’t get me wrong, I like Alec and I like Scott but Alec has an even bigger hero complex going on with him than you had once. I get Scott saved and helped him but it’s sometimes so frustrating because he always praises Scott and it’s like Scott can do nothing wrong. And I...maybe I get jealous or whatever.”

Alec and Nolan had hit off right upon meeting each other and got along just great. Liam knew Nolan had a crush on the other and he always thought Alec reciprocated those feelings but he also got Nolan’s frustration with the described situation. Liam hoped they could work it out and save their relationship, no matter what kind of relationship it was in the end, but he also knew their loyalties were different now. Alec was clearly Team Scott while Nolan clearly was Team Liam.

“I’m the reason for this problem because I insisted on keeping my Alpha status a secret for so long. There are so many secrets between all of us currently but I promise you, Nolan, it will be one of the first things I will do in the new year. Meet with Scott and come clean. And hopefully, it will help you make up with Alec again.” Liam said and tried to sound optimistic about that. Nolan gave him just a look.   
“You know you can’t be blamed for everything, right?”  
“Huh. Yeah but as I said, I’m part of the problem and I admit that.”  Liam knew it was like that.  “We will manage it, Nolan, okay?”

******  
After they ate and visited some shops around, they took the subway back to the hotel since Tim and Mike had to get ready for the gala. While they were doing so, Liam and Theo lounged in their rooms, Liam watched TV and Theo drew.

But Liam could not get the Nolan-Alec situation out of his hand and after a while, he turned off the volume and grabbed his cellphone. Theo looked up when the TV turned silent all of sudden and gave Liam a questioning glance, but Liam ignored him while he speed-dialed somebody and waited for them to pick up the call.

And finally, someone did.

“Scott, hi. Before you say anything: I am sorry how our last call ended. I lashed out and that wasn’t fair. I am sorry and thank you for giving me my space and not trying to force me to talk. I hope you got my reply to your text on Thanksgiving?...Yeah? That’s great...” Liam smiled softly and Theo raised an eyebrow while he lowered his sketchbook and watched Liam.   
Scott, on the other hand, seemed surprised by the sudden call. Yet he chuckled. “It’s okay, we all make mistakes and you were probably stressed. You were right, though, I neglected you a little bit and I am sorry about that too.”  
“Uhm, that’s actually why I call you. I know December will be a very busy month and we’re not coming home for Christmas but we really need to talk. It’s one of the most important things and right when next year rolls around, we need to meet up. No excuses, no postponement. It’s time for my old pack to meet my new pack.” Liam said, the determination clear in his voice. He would not take No for an answer. Luckily Scott seemed to sense that too.  
“Tell you what, Liam, we will talk after Christmas and schedule a meeting, okay?” He suggested and Liam was okay with that.   
“Fine by me. Thank you, Scott.”  
“Thank you for calling, Liam.”  
“I have to go now but have a nice day, Scott.”  
“You too, Liam. Greet Theo and Nolan, okay?”  
“Will do. Greet Malia and Derek and Stiles. Bye.”

Liam hung up again and huffed out a breath while Theo chuckled. “Look at you, being all firm and determined. What brought that up?”  
“I felt the need to do it. To make Scott understand we really need to talk no, without any delays. Nolan told me h had a fight with Alec, I was one of the reasons. I want to clear the air and I’m done hiding. But I also have other important things to take care of, so next year it is.”  
Theo looked at Liam and his eyes flashed gold. “This determination is sexy as hell, you know that?”  
“Really?” Liam asked with a sly smirk. “Come here and show me how sexy you really find it.”   
The chimera put his sketchbook aside and then crawled over to Liam, slow and graceful, like the predator he truly was. Liam shivered and when Theo finally leaned over him and kissed him, he moaned softly and his arms wrapped around Theo.

Somebody knocked at the door and Theo groaned. “Liam, Theo, time to admire our two gala boys!” Ever called out and Theo groaned again. “Our Betas are cockblocking us! Can I turn in a formal complaint?”  
Liam laughed. “You can but I’m not sure the situation will change. Now come on, you know how nervous Tim is and Mike is tense because he will meet his parents again. They need our support. I will make it up to you later.”  
“I hold you onto that!” The grumbled while he got up from the bed and pulled Liam to his feet too. The Alpha couple left their room and walked into the boy’s room where Mike and Tim had to pose for yet another picture taken by Sadie.  
“Look at you!” Liam called out with a smile and inspected his two Betas dressed in their suits. “You look fantastic.”   
Tim let out a nervous laugh. “I hope so. Are you sure you don’t want to accompany Mike instead of me, Sadie?”  
“Absolutely sure. You look too great to not show the world. Mikey will guide and protect you, right?” The blonde fashionista said with a bright smile and Mike nodded.  
“It will be okay, Timmy. Now come on, the limousine is waiting downstairs.”   
He gave his best friend a clap on the back and the pack waved and then even accompanied them downstairs to see them get in the black limousine and then waved while the car drove away. 

Maya shivered since they were all not wearing coats. “So, we sent Tim and Mike their way. What are we going to do now?” She asked and hastily retreated back into the hotel.   
“What kind of question is this? This is New York! We’re going out!” Ever said and raised her cellphone. “I already googled some hot locations around.”   
“A night’s out sounds fun. Then let’s grab our stuff and meet here again in ten minutes?” Theo suggested and Sadie scoffed.  
“Ten minutes? To get ready for a night out? Really, Theo? Do you know me at all?” She asked him.   
Theo gave her a look and then sighed. “You knock at our door when you’re ready?” He then went for a compromise and she grinned. “That sounds way better!”

How long it really took for them all to get ready, Liam didn’t even bother to check the time. He had also changed clothes back in his room and so did Theo and Liam’s mouth went dry when he caught sight of his boyfriend dressed in slim black jeans, a light grey t-shirt, and a green bomber jacket and white converse. His hair was stylish gelled and the carefree smile on his face made him look even hotter than he usually did. 

When Theo looked at him, the chimera’s hazel eyes darkened slightly. “Is that my leather jacket?” He inquired and Liam looked down as if he had to check. He knew it was Theo’s black leather jacket he wore above a plain white shirt with some grey drops on it and to the dark blue jeans and simple dark sneakers, and yet he acted as if he had not noticed it and coyly bit his lip. “Maybe.”

Next thing he knew, his back collided with the wall and Theo’s lips were on his in a hungry kiss. Liam moaned and wrapped his arms around Theo when Theo bit down on his lower lip and sucked on it. “Let the others go out and we stay in bed all night.” He muttered hotly and Liam laughed.  
“You like spending time with our pack too and going out in New York is something else you also want to experience.” He grabbed Theo’s chin and made him look up. “But when we get back, we won’t leave the bed for several hours.” He promised and Theo nodded before he kissed Liam again. 

And then their Betas knocked at their door and Liam and Theo left the room. On the way to the location Ever had googled up, Liam enjoyed the lights of the city blinking in the winter night. Their destination was a small club with music loud enough they already heard it outside. But it sounded good, not the usual crap from the popular dance clubs. Liam wasn’t the best dancer but to this music, he would at least try to dance. 

“Is this a gay club?” Nolan asked upon entering and Theo snorted.  
“What was your first clue? The many same-sex couples dancing and making out on the dancefloor or the word GAY in neon pink letters above the bar?”

Nolan just gave him a look and then Ever pulled him along to an empty table. They all sat down and got an overview of the club first. It reminded Liam of Sinema and while he rarely had been there, he liked this now. The dancefloor was right in the middle of the large room, tables, chairs, and booths were gathered around and the bar took up one whole wall. Purple neon tubes illuminated it and in a corner close to the dance floor was the DJ playing his music. Liam got up again.

“First round’s on me!” He announced and Maya followed him to the bar to help him carry the ordered drinks. “Hey cutie.” Another guy with dark skin and black hair greeted Liam when they arrived at the bar and sent him a flirty smile. Liam blinked. Was that guy really talking to him? Maya next to him giggled so it looked like that. “Are you new here? I would remember such a pretty face.”  
“Uhm, listen, thank you for your attention but I’m here with my boyfriend and my friends.” He said and pointed at their table. The guy looked over.  
“Which one is yours?”  
“The one in the bomber jacket.”  
The guy whistled. “Damn, boy, you two make a good-looking couple! Congratulations! Now I’m envious.” He joked and Liam laughed. “I hope you have a great night.” The guy said and then walked off to find another one to flirt with. Maya giggled again.  
“He’s right, yo. You make a good-looking couple.”  
Liam blushed. He knew Theo was insanely good looking but he had a hard time accepting he was just as attractive. he just didn’t saw himself like that. Not compared to Theo. “Let’s order drinks and stop saying that!” He said, blush still on his cheeks and his Beta’s cackle in his ears. He waved the barkeeper over and ordered their first round of shots.

When they returned, however, Maya immediately had to share the encounter. “Liam got hit on at the bar but when he told the guy about Theo, the guy immediately was like ‘Damn, you’re such an attractive couple. Sorry for hitting on you’.”   
Theo had tensed at the beginning of the sentence but at the end, he relaxed and smiled. He put one arm around Liam when the Alpha sat down next to him again and put the shots in the middle of the table. Liam just gave him a shy smile. “I’m yours.” He said elusively and Theo just nodded. “Right.” He said and kissed Liam to prove that to everyone in the club.  
Ever meanwhile pulled something from her bag and pulled the tray with the shots closer to her.   
“Wolfsbane?” Nolan asked.   
Ever nodded. “Where’s the use in going out if you can’t get drunk? So I’m helping.” She explained and added the liquid wolfsbane into the shots. “Now we can party!”

And party they did. It felt good to just let loose for a night, drink and dance and be playful with the pack. At one point they found out there was body paint sprayed on the crowd from the DJ and from the ceiling and it gave the whole thing an even more playful vibe. 

That’s how Mike and Tim found them later on. They both had changed clothes into something more casual and had driven to the club after Ever texted them the address. They were greeted with loud cheers and Mike laughed.  
“Are you drunk?” He asked amusedly and took the shot Sadie offered him without so much of a second glance. He knocked it back and Tim stared at him in awe before he did the same but grimaced.  
“Tastes bitter.”   
“You’ll get used to the taste, Tim-Tim. Come on, you are far behind!” Theo said and put yet another tray of shots on the table. Ever already waited to infuse the wolfsbane into the shots and they all grabbed a glass. “To the core pack!” Liam toasted and the others cheerfully agreed before they clanked their shots together before they downed them. 

The music changed to a new song and Theo got to his feet. “I love that song! Come on, let’s dance!” He told Liam and pulled him to the dancefloor. As good as he could pull in his state already. The alcohol mixed with the wolfsbane had intoxicated them all but that didn’t take away any fun. Liam laughed and wrapped his arms around Theo’s neck when they arrived on the dancefloor.  
“You’re drunk.” He told the chimera with a giggle and Theo beamed at him, eyes slightly glassy and movements a bit uncoordinated but he was still standing.  
“I’m having fun. And maybe I’m a little tipsy.”

“No no, you, Theo Raeken, are wasted.” Liam giggled again. “And I love it.” He said before he kissed Theo. They stood in the middle of the dancefloor, not even bothered by the other people around them, and shamelessly made out. Theo put his hands on Liam’s back and pressed him closer, one leg slotting between Liam’s to be even closer to his mate. Liam groaned softly and Theo used his parted lips to let his tongue slip into Liam’ mouth. A new dash of color rippled down on them and Liam had to giggle again, breaking the kiss.  
“You have red paint on your cheek.” He said and stroke the paint away from Theo’s skin, only that he now smeared it everywhere on Theo’s cheek. Not it was Theo who giggled. “And you have blue paint on your nose and your cheek.” He noticed and grinned. “You look amazingly pretty. Even prettier than usual. My pretty Alpha!” 

Liam smiled and stroke through Theo's hair. All the dancing and the overheated room had made him sweat and he looked absolutely gorgeous. His hands then wandered to Theo’s jacket to pull it off his shoulders. ”Need to cool you down.” He explained his actions and Theo laughed and stripped off his jacket. Liam threw it over to Ever who laughed loudly and put it next to her on the seat of the booth and then continued watching the Alpha couple. 

Theo pulled Liam closer again and kissed him deeply and Liam moaned into the kiss and pressed closer to Theo again. Theo’s hand disappeared into the back pocket of Liam’s jeans, smearing paint on the jeans in the progress, but neither of them cared. They were too lost in their makeout session and didn’t even notice the few catcalls around them. Liam could not help himself, having his mate so close to himself made his intoxicated brain literally not care who was watching them. He briefly saw Ever pointing her phone at them but he didn’t care at that either.

 His hands slipped under Theo’s shirt and stroke over his muscled back and slowly he pulled the garment up to feel even more of this wonderful skin against his fingertips. The catcalls got louder and it broke him out of the haze he had been in. He pulled away and Theo chased after his lips but then just leaned his forehead against Liam’s.  
“Let them talk, I only have eyes for you.” He muttered and Liam grinned. “Good.” He said and gave Theo’s ass a slap while his eyes flashed red. Theo shivered. He kissed Liam’s neck and nibbled on his ear. “Pretty, pretty Alpha eyes and they always make me so damn hot. Like, you have no idea. I could drop to my knees and suck you off right here.”  
Liam groaned at the words and pressed closer to Theo who used the grip on his ass to grope him real good which caused their groins to get pressed together. “You can’t say things like this in a crowded club.”  
“Why not?” Theo asked and licked a stripe over Liam’s neck. “It is true.”  
“Fuck, drunk you is even more shameless than sober you.”  
“And both are completely and utterly smitten with you and want to make you happy. You deserve the world and I really want to give it to you. Can we get married tonight? I want to get married.”  
Liam laughed. “God, who knew drunk you could be so romantic?”  
“And then I want to make you scream tonight.”   
“And so dirty.” Liam laughed again. “God, I love you.” 

Theo looked at him and then they kissed again, arms wrapped around each other and their bodies pressed together as close as possible. Again Liam could not stop himself from letting his hands disappear under Theo’s shirt and he pulled it up again. Theo kissed his neck and sucked a mark into his skin and Liam moaned loudly and swayed on his feet for a moment. “You’re so hot!” He groaned.   
Theo grinned against his neck and then he pushed away from Liam. “Guess I need to cool down then?” He asked and even though Liam protested, he pulled his shirt over his head and okay yeah, sue Liam for actually enjoying this for a few moments. The others around them too and Liam endured their whistles and catcalls but then he growled.  
Theo wrapped an arm around him. “Sorry, guys, I’m taken to this wonderful, hot as the burning sun, fine specimen of a man. Look at him, isn’t he the prettiest and most wonderful man in the whole wide world?” He called out and they all laughed and clapped at his love declaration. Liam laughed, too wasted himself to even be embarrassed by this. He just kissed Theo under the laughter and the clapping from the crowd but then he gasped when Theo dropped to his knees. “Liam, the most wonderful person in the universe, will you marry me?”  
Liam laughed incredulously. “Yes but now get up, you fluffy dork!” He said and pulled Theo to his feet again. He kissed him though and Theo happily kissed back while the crowd hollered at them. They parted and Liam shook his head with a laugh. “You’re unbelievable!”

Theo smirked. “I need another drink.” He declared and pulled Liam back to their table while he put his shirt back on again. He sat down and almost pulled Liam in his lap but unfortunately there was not enough space to do so, so Liam sat next to his pouting mate and giggled at that. Sadie handed them both another shot each and they downed it almost in sync.   
“Why are you guys all sitting here? Get up and dance!” Theo told them and Nolan laughed.   
“Fuck, you’re just as wasted as I am! But we’re currently playing.”  
“What are you playing?” Liam asked curiously and eyed how Ever tried to throw some pennies into an empty glass. 

“We try to get the five pennies in the glass. For every penny inside the glass gets to kiss the person of their choice and then they decide on another person who needs to try and get the pennies in the glass.” Sadie explained and Ever lost her penny without winning. She collected the pennies from the table and handed them to Mike. 

Mike needed four tries and then he managed to get his first penny inside the glass on his last shot. He threw his hands up in victory and then he leaned to his left where Tim said. Tim had just downed a shot and swallowed before he leaned in too and the two young men kissed. Not a chaste kiss, nope; that kiss was deep and sensual and everybody else at the table whooped. 

They parted and Tim grinned before he took the pennies from his friend. Surprisingly he needed one shot to have his penny inside the glass and now he leaned over to kiss Nolan just as deep as Mike kissed him. Again their pack cheered and Sadie and Ever never stopped filming or taking pictures.  Over time there were also pictures of Maya and Tim kissing, Sadie and Tim, Nolan and Ever at one point, Mike and Ever and Mike and Maya.

******  
Liam had Theo pressed against the wall of the elevator and they were locked in a passionate kiss while the pack giggled and joked around them. They were on their way home but Theo had looked so irresistible in the elevator’s light and so he had kissed him and not stopped kissing him since then.

The elevator stopped at their floor and Mike grabbed Theo by the collar to pull them both out of the elevator and towards their room. How they all managed to unlock the doors were a mystery to them but somehow they all landed in their respective rooms. Theo and Liam stumbled inside theirs and the door fell shut with a clack behind them. They were clawing at each other’s clothes and only stopped to actually breath. 

“Need you.” Theo whispered breathlessly. “Need you so much. Alpha, please.” He sat down on the bed and leaned back. “You’re wearing my jacket and I need you without clothes but you can wear the jacket more often. It looks good on you.” 

He sat up again and pulled his shirt over his head. “But right now I need you in bed with me, Alpha. Want to be yours, completely yours.” He undressed further and fell off the bed when he tried to get his shoes off at the same time as pulling down his jeans. But he sat up right away and laughed and intoxicated or not, Theo’s laugh was one of the most amazing things Liam ever heard. 

He undressed completely too, leaving his clothes in a pile on the floor, and helped Theo back on the bed before he undressed him off his remaining clothing too. Once they were totally naked, Theo moved in the middle of the bed and looked at Liam. He watched Liam through half-lidded eyes and his irises glowed gold. Liam loved the sight and only stopped looking at his mate when he went to retrieve the lube from their bag. When he came back Theo held out his hands and Liam tossed him the lube. 

Under Liam’s watchful eyes Theo opened it and smeared something on his fingers. He lazily started to stroke over his hard cock and gave it a few pumps, all while he stared at Liam. And Liam would be damned if this wasn’t the hottest thing he ever witnessed. His own cock was rock hard thanks to watching his mate jerk off and he slowly moved onto the bed. Theo’s heartbeat picked up when Liam crawled towards him and then leaned in to kiss him hungrily. 

The lube fell on the bed and Theo whined into the kiss. Liam pulled Theo closer and stroke through his sweaty and messy hair before he pinned the chimera into the mattress in a swift move and grinned down at him.

Theo looked surprised but then a new wave of arousal flared up and he groaned. “Alpha, please!” He begged. “Need you. Need you inside me. Please.” He reached up and ran his hand over Liam’s cheek, the one with the blue color on. Liam leaned in the touch and smiled. Leaning down he kissed Theo’s cheek and licked over it before he kissed his neck. Theo moaned and bared his neck in total submission. Tonight he wanted to truly and completely belong to his Alpha and give his Alpha everything. They were mated and all, but this was a whole new level of intimacy and Liam knew Theo only did this because he completely and utterly trusted Liam. Even though he was drunk, he trusted Liam with everything, knowing full well Liam would never abuse this.

And Liam would never abuse it as long as he lived. He wanted Theo to feel good and when he stroked over the inside of his thighs, Theo spread his legs immediately. Liam lubed up his fingers and then he had two of them circle Theo’s hole before pushing in. Theo gasped loudly and arched into it, one hand wrapping around the arm Liam used to steady himself on the bed. Liam waited for any sign of discomfort but when he didn’t get anything, he started to move his fingers and scissor them.

And only after a little while Theo was trashing and moving underneath him and he added a third finger, thoroughly preparing his boyfriend. Theo gasped and mewled and his claws scratched over Liam’s arm but none of them cared. Liam prepared Theo until he found him lose enough and then he pulled his fingers out which caused Theo to gasp in a loss.

Liam wasted no time to lube up his cock and then he let the head of his dick push against Theo’s hole. Theo moaned and pushed against him and slowly the head disappeared into his greedy hole. Liam smirked and then pushed in with one fast thrust. Both of them gasped at the sudden tightness and the feel of being connected like this. 

They kissed and then Liam began to move inside Theo, slow and steady at first, and Theo called out his name and wrapped his legs around his anchor. They kissed again, sloppy and hotly and then Liam began to move slightly faster. Theo gasped out again and Liam could not help the mewl that escaped his lips. “You’re so tight, baby. Fuck!”

Theo whimpered and his claws scratched Liam again, which resulted in the Alpha fucking him harder. Liam’s kisses wandered over Theo’s neck and he bit down, sucking the skin, to mark Theo completely, just like his mate whispered to do it all the time. Theo wanted to belong to Liam, he belonged to Liam and Liam completely belonged to him, but Liam was not above stating his claim. And so he bit and marked the skin and good as he could. And seeing Theo covered in his bite marks made him growl and he fucked his boyfriend even harder while his hand closed around Theo’s leaking shaft.

“I bet you could come untouched tonight but I decided to be extra nice tonight. And I love to jerk you off.” He whispered into Theo’s ear and bit down on the shell, causing Theo to jerk violently and gasp in pleasure before he moved to the other side of Theo’s neck. Theo bared his neck once more and Liam bit down. Not deep enough for a mating bite but deep enough to leave a mark for several hours. Theo threw his head back and howled, eyes glowing like molted gold, and Liam’s own eyes flared in deep red. Their wolves snapped into motion inside them and their lovemaking (because no matter how hard or fast this was lovemaking and fucking at the same time) turned even harder and more violently given that Theo now raked his claws over Liam’s back. Liam roared at the delicious pain mixed with the pleasure of having Theo clench around him. 

“You like that, huh? Like to have your Alpha mate fuck you like that?” Liam growled and Theo nodded feverishly.   
“Yes, Alpha, oh yes!”  
Liam grinned and his fangs scraped over his bottom lip. “Know what, Dore?Maybe you should work a bit more for this.” And thus he grabbed Theo and rolled them around so Theo was on top. “Ride me, my perfect mate.” 

He had not expected that Theo would go slow and his mate didn’t. He just steadied himself and moved in a slightly better position and then he started moving his hips in fast movements. Liam groaned and gasped at how deep he was inside his boyfriend and at how perfect Theo was at what he was currently doing. Theo’s own cock was leaking and Liam stroke it all the time, teasing him while his mate wildly rode him. Their moaning could probably be heard from across the hallway but Liam could not care in the slightest when Theo’s looked so absolutely sinful bouncing on his cock and while he raked his clawed fingers over Liam’s torso. 

Liam turned his head and arched up to press a kiss against the tattoo on Theo’s skin in a sentimental and loving gesture. And suddenly Theo reached his high and spilled all over Liam’s hand and his chest. Liam gasped at how much Theo clenched around his cock and that made him more or less explode inside his mate, spilling his load deep inside Theo. They were completely breathless and boneless after that and Theo collapsed on top of Liam. Only after a little while, Liam could move them enough so that Theo laid next to him and he could slip out. He just wrapped the blanket around them and his arms around Theo and then he was out like a light, completely fucked out. 

******  
Since he had become a werewolf, having a hangover was strange. Because even if you drank wolfsbane infused alcohol, as soon as the wolfsbane left your system you felt less a headache and more tired and sore. 

So when Liam woke up hours later, he felt like he was wrapped in cotton and not like he was having a headache. Him and Theo had moved in their sleep again and now Theo was spooning him from behind. Liam enjoyed the warm body pressed against his back and replayed the things he could remember from last night.

“I remember me getting down on my knees. Please tell me I didn’t drunkenly propose to you.” Theo suddenly muttered and he sounded completely wrecked, voice husky and rough and Liam shivered. God that was hot. He then chuckled when he realized Theo’s question.  
“I’m pretty sure you did.” He said and Theo groaned and leaned his forehead between Liam’s shoulder blades.   
“Fuck I was so drunk.” The chimera muttered and Liam wanted to move but Theo grumbled. “Stay, you’re comfy like that.”  
“We were all drunk, Dore.” 

They fell silent and Liam still pieced everything that happened together. “Are you okay? After last night, I mean.”  
Theo tightened his grip he had on Liam. “I am more than just okay. Last night was so very different than ever before but I knew all the time you would never take advantage of me. Would not think less of me when I submitted to you like that. So yes, Liam, I am absolutely fine.” He kissed Liam’s naked back and Liam smiled.   
“Good. Just wanted to check.”  
“Everything I said was true, you know? I love you with all my heart, you know that, right?”  
“Yeah, Theo, I know. I love you just as much, you know that too, right?”  
“Of course I do.” 

Liam scratched his cheek and opened his eyes when he felt the dried paint crumble. “Theo, we need to shower.”  
“No, let’s sleep for a little while longer.” Theo pleaded but Liam raised his head and looked over his shoulder. “No, we need to shower now, we are sweaty, full of paint and we are generally gross. I’m not saying we have to have sex but we should get cleaned up.” 

Theo opened his eyes and looked at Liam and then he slowly nodded. “Okay.” He agreed and slowly let go of Liam so the Alpha could sit up. Liam stretched and looked at his mate who sat up too. “Oops.” He said with a grind and stroke over a very prominent bite mark on Theo’s neck. Theo frowned in confusion but when he got up to check in the mirror, he laughed. “Really, Liam?”  
“I am sorry, okay? It was a spur of the moment kind of thing!”  
“Lie! You’re not sorry at all!” Theo said with a laugh and Liam had to admit he was right. Now he got up from the bed and stepped behind Theo. “You’re mine.” He said softly and kissed Theo’s neck before he grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the shower. 

In the shower, Liam regulated a nice temperature for both of them and the tilted his head back and let the warm water run over him and his tired body. Theo did it as well under the second shower head and they just stood next to each other at first and enjoyed the water.

Theo was the first to move, he stepped behind Liam and kissed his shoulder before he grabbed the shower gel and started to soap Liam up. He made sure to give his mate a soft massage every now and then when he reached a very tense muscle and Liam was putty in Theo’s hands. “I love you and how caring you are.” He muttered and he felt Theo’s smile when he kissed his cheek. “But I should do this to you, I wrecked you last night after all. At least it feels like this to me.”

“You did exactly what I asked you to, so don’t you dare to feel bad. It was amazing and fuck, Liam I loved riding you.” Theo replied and chuckled. Liam turned around, wrapped both arms around Theo, and kissed him. Theo put his hands on Liam’s hips and kissed him back with the same love and devotion Liam poured into the initial kiss. 

They stood under the warm spray of water and just kissed for a while before now Liam grabbed the shower gel and washed Theo. Theo chimera rolled his neck and steadied himself against the glass wall of the shower with both hands. Liam made sure to give his boyfriend a soft treatment and when he was done, he pressed himself against Theo’s back and kissed his neck. Theo leaned against him and enjoyed the soft caress. “Liam?”  
“Hm?”   
“Thank you for being as caring and as awesome as you are.”  
Liam stilled. “This...Of course. I love you and you deserve the best.”  
“So I deserve you. You are the best for me.”  
Liam smiled. “Sap. But okay. You deserve me and I deserve you.” He conceded and Theo seemed perfectly fine with that because he actually purred. 

The chimera turned around and pushed Liam against the shower wall. They kissed again and while they did so, he grabbed Liam’s hardening cock and started to stroke him in soft and long strokes. Liam moaned and lightly pushed against Theo’s hand and then he returned the favor by grabbing Theo’s cock and also jerking him off on lazy strokes.

The water was still pouring down on them and after a while, they were both groaning each other’s name and rutting against each other. Liam felt highly sensitive and when he finally reached his climax, he gasped out Theo’s name and spilled between them. Theo followed close behind him and the water washed away their release. They both smiled at each other and Liam pecked Theo’s lips lovingly.

“You remember I said yes to the proposal, right?”  
“Oh no!” Theo said firmly while he turned off the shower after they washed their hair and rinsed off. “This is not how I propose to you. It’s good you said yes, don’t get me wrong, but if the day comes that I propose to you, I will make it a real proposal and I will be sober!” He said and Liam snickered.   
“Well then, I can’t wait until I see this.” He said happily. “Those are big words, Raeken, so don’t you dare to disappoint me. But please, nothing too corny, okay? And nothing with food either.”  
“Of course nothing with food. With how you eat I would be scared you swallowed the ring before I even got to ask the question.”  
“Ass.”  
Theo just smirked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't plan to end the chapter like this but Theo and Liam happened, okay? They just happened and they can't keep their hands off each other! But I had the time of my life writing drunk Theo!^^


	24. Exploring New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The New York trip continues and Liam and Theo have yet another talk about the future

[from Mason]  
 **Why do I wake up to a video of a half-naked Theo going on his knees in front of you and proposing? What are you doing in New York? Don‘t you dare to get married before me! We made a deal when we were six!**

[from Mason]  
 **And why are there so many pictures of our fellow Betas making out with each other?**

[from Mason]  
 **And a video of Theo and you making out in an elevator. Seriously, do you guys even breathe? I am impressed that you don’t get lightheaded. Although…I really don’t need to see my best friend in tongue to tongue action with his boyfriend…**

[from Corey]  
 **I’m pretty sure you broke Mase with all the videos and pics you sent and I’m having the time of my life here. Thank you! :D**

Liam snorted while he took a bite of his croissant and set his coffee mug down to type a reply. The pack had met for a late breakfast/brunch and was now sitting in a nice café with coffee, tea, and croissants or bagels.

[to Mason]  
 **He was drunk. We all were. And since Theo and I are mated, we technically are werewolf-married, so I’m not sure if this applies to our deal. But yeah, you will be the first one of us to have a normal human wedding. And the pictures…we had fun and played a game. I wasn’t even aware we got filmed in the elevator but let it be said, this is a rather tame video given what happened afterward. Oh, get a grip!**

[to Corey]  
 **My reply might have broken him even more…XD**

[from Corey]  
 **He’s gaping at his phone like a fish and I’m dying here XD**

Liam snickered and searched for the pictures and videos that obviously disturbed his best friend that much. Some had actually made it online and Liam laughed loudly. “You uploaded the video of Theo proposing to me?“ He asked Ever who had been about to bite into her croissant and now froze midbite. “Uh…“  
"She did what? You did what??“ Theo asked and leaned over to look at Liam’s phone. He watched the short video and tilted his head. “It’s cute in a very strange way.“ He scrunched his nose. “Must be still hungover if I find myself cute.“  
“It was cute. You were torn between being insanely fluffy and sappy and horny and shameless. It was quite a combination.“ Liam teased his boyfriend and jumped when he felt the sharp prick of teeth on his shoulder through his shirt. Not enough to hurt him but to send a shiver down his spine and he tilted his head to kiss Theo’s forehead. Theo smiled at him and the mated couple just looked at each other for a few moments, just focused on each other.  
“Is this just me or are the two of you even more in love this morning?“ Nolan asked. He had probably the most problem with his hangover and nibbled on a cup of herbal tea and some toast.  
“I’m not an expert but a reason for that could be this.“ Mike said and pulled the collar of Theo’s shirt down, exposing probably the most prominent bitemark Liam had left on his mate’s skin. “Because Liam obviously got hungry last night and had to take a bite.“ He grinned and Theo swatted his hand away.  
“You will understand if you ever find a mate yourself!“ He sassed back and Mike just grinned and made a kissing sound.

Liam was still checking what his Betas had posted and what else he could find on his phone. Former experiences showed Liam had a thing for messing around with his phone when he was drunk and it often led to some hilarious snaps he had no memory of taking but they were there. This time, however, they were less hilarious and more a different kind of entertaining, even only for himself. “Holy…“  
Now he had everybody else’s undivided attention. “What?“ Maya asked.  
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.“ Liam said resolutely and tried to will down the blush that was about to spread over his cheeks. His pack gave him funny looks and especially Theo raised an eyebrow. Liam ignored this and rather decided to start a completely new topic. “Plans for today?“  
“I’d like to ride the ferry and take pictures of New York’s skyline.” Tim said. “And tomorrow maybe a helicopter flight over the city. Because if I do it today, I might barf.“  
“Oh no, I’m not getting into a helicopter!“ Mike immediately said.  
Maya grinned. „Hold on, you are not afraid of flying with a plane but you are afraid of flying with a helicopter?“  
“It’s smaller, crowded, and it makes worse sounds.“ Mike told her and to everyone’s surprise, Sadie agreed with him. “I’m afraid of helicopters too.“  
“Okay, so the helicopter flight is still in question but the ferry ride is really interesting. I‘d like to visit a museum. Some great masterpieces are hanging around town.“ Theo said.  
“Museums? Really?“ Neither Mike nor Ever nor Nolan nor Tim looked as excited about that and Liam could not blame them. Art was really not their forte. But Maya, Sadie, and Theo would like to visit a museum and he wanted to give them the chance. “We can part ways for a while. We are here in New York and there are so many great things to do. So, you go and visit whatever museum you want to visit and we others find something else to do.“ He decided and his pack nodded.  
“Honestly, Liam, were you always that good at finding a compromise?“ Mike asked curiously.  
Liam laughed. “Real talk? Absolutely not. I’m usually way too impatient, too pigheaded, too stubborn to even think of a compromise. But I learned that this hurts people and that I have to be careful. That sometimes a compromise is better as when everybody loses. And I never tried more to live by that than after becoming an Alpha. I have to go for what’s best for everybody and not for one single person.“  
“As someone who knows Liam since he was fifteen, turning sixteen, I can tell you he got so mature over the years and he did an insanely big step into maturity after he became an Alpha. I’m proud of him.“ Theo said with a smile and Liam smiled back at him. The chimera leaned in and brushed his lips against Liam’s ear. “If I had met today’s Liam back then, I honest to god would have tried to seduce you from the first moment on.“ He whispered and Liam smirked.  
“The key moments in our relationships would have been spiced up for sure under this regards.“ He admitted and nuzzled Theo’s neck. Theo shivered when Liam‘s hot breath ghosted over a bite mark.  
“You know that even when you whisper, we still can hear you, right?“ Tim asked.  
“Ignore it, just ignore it, Timmy. It’s the best.“ Sadie muttered and their Alphas grinned.

******  
“What’s on your phone?“ Theo inquired.  
Liam had played on his phone and now looked back at his boyfriend. “Huh?“  
“You checked your phone earlier and suddenly you were completely surprised by whatever you found. It can‘t be something bad or you would have reacted differently. So it got me thinking what it could be but I’m literally lost here. Will you tell me?“ Theo explained. He leaned against the headboard of their bed, legs stretched in front of him and crossed at the ankles. The pack had returned to their rooms after breakfast and was now getting ready for a fun-filled day in the city.

Liam looked down for a moment, then he exited his game and went to his picture gallery. “Do you remember that we woke up during the night?“  
“We did?“ Theo asked, indicating that he indeed had no recollection of it either.  
“Looks like it.“ Liam said and showed Theo the first picture. It was relatively tame, showing a sleeping Theo in the moonlight, on his side, bite marks visible on his skin, and the blanket just draped over his hips.

The second picture, however, had Theo on his back and even though he still was clearly drunk in the picture, he managed to look at the camera a sultry smile. The blanket had been tossed aside and his naked body was on full display, especially the dark bite marks. Liam never had any nudes on his phone before but he would keep this picture for sure.  

He jumped to the next but instead a picture it was a video this time. Liam had filmed the whole bed, started at the foot of the said bed and slowly lead the camera all over Theo’s delicious naked body in the dimly lit room. His skin was literally glistening in the moonlight and he looked like a masterpiece painted on the white sheets. Theo had turned on his stomach and just looked over his shoulder to Liam. He smiled softly and bit his lower lip. “Come back to bed, Alpha. Please. Need you close.” He pleaded and the camera moved, Liam obviously put his phone to the side and leaned over Theo to kiss his shoulder and then bite down again, marking him with yet another bite mark. Theo arched up and moaned so sinful and then Liam moved over to the camera and turned it off again.

“They’re hot.” Liam said. Theo gave him a surprised look. “Really?”  
Liam nodded. “Yeah but you can bet I will never show this to anybody. This is for my personal entertainment. Only I’m allowed to see that.”   
Theo stared at him, then he just pulled Liam closer and kissed him hungrily. “Fuck, you being in this determined and firm Alpha mode is so fucking sexy.”  
Liam chuckled into the kiss and pulled Theo closer. “And I can’t resist you when you basically jump me like that. Fuck, Theo, the Betas are almost ready and will knock again.”  
“They are clever, they know not to disturb the Alpha couple when they are really having sex.” Theo told him and sucked on Liam’s neck. Liam gasped and closed his eyes. “You’re not even drunk right now, what’s gotten into you?” He inquired with yet another breathless laugh. 

“I am hopelessly in love with you.” Theo replied and Liam squeaked when he was suddenly rolled again and pinned to the bed. Theo grinned down at him and then kissed him softly. “But I admit, if we start now we won’t be finished for the next few hours and that would be a shame. Not that I don’t want to have sex with you but it would be a day in New York wasted. That’s what the night is for.”  
Liam laughed. “Agreed.”  
The Betas chose this moment to knock at their door. “Can’t wait for the night.” Liam told his mate and kissed him one last time before they got into their shoes and then left the room. 

******  
The street they currently strolled through held a lot of clothing shops, little souvenirs stores and also stores where self-made things like clay pieces were sold. The whole street had this artistic vibe going on and even though Liam was pretty sure he did not have a creative bone in his body (aside from when Theo fucked him), he liked said vibe. 

“This looks pretty.” Ever said and stopped at a clothing store to inspect a flowy tunic in white with flowers on the collar. “Can we go in here?” She asked and disappeared into the store before even waiting for an answer. The guys followed her because it wasn’t just a clothing store for women but also for men and they all looked around. Nolan found some interest in some jeans jackets, Tim and Mike looked at the shoes they offered, and Liam just wandered through the shop. He stopped by the bracelets and the necklaces. He wasn’t a big fan of wearing jewelry, aside from the things he was already wearing and he loved those, but anything else made him feel strange. But he enjoyed pretty things like those necklaces and bracelets.

Liam continued to walk around the shop and stopped by a shelf full of jeans in all colors. The jeans Liam usually wore were comfortable, not too tight but also not too baggy. Normal. Theo, on the other hand, wore jeans that fit him like they were made for him and Liam loved it. He could never pull the things off his boyfriend wore, but sometimes it itched him to upgrade his wardrobe a little bit. 

He looked around, his Betas were still busy with looking at the things and so Liam grabbed some black jeans and some dark blue ones. He strolled towards the part of the shop where they kept the shirts and decided on a black tank and a white muscle shirt before he finally walked towards the dressing room and slipped into one. 

The young Alpha undressed and slipped into the dark blue jeans and the black tank. It was strange to wear a slimmer jeans than usual but as Liam looked in the mirror it didn’t look as terrible as he expected. He tilted his head and watched his reflection from all sides. He finally grabbed his phone and snapped a picture of his reflection before sending it to Theo with an attached message.

**[to Theo]**  
How do I look?

It didn’t take long until his phone showed a new text.

**[from Theo]**  
Are you kidding me? I’m in a crowded museum and I just moaned. What are you even wearing?

**[to Theo]**  
I thought I could try something new. You don’t like it?

Liam had been insecure before but now he had absolutely no idea what to do but he wanted to try the other outfit at least. He liked that one even better and took a picture of that too. Theo had still not replied but Liam sent the other picture as well. If Theo thought he looked hideous, he might as well get two pictures to laugh at.

**[to Theo]**  
That’s the other one, fyi.

He changed back into his clothes and left the dressing room, only to almost get run over by Ever. “I got a text from Theo to grab whatever you are holding in your arm and buy it. He will give me money later and I have no idea why but hey, I get money later so I’m not asking any questions.” She explained and plucked the clothes from Liam’s arms. 

“But...” Liam began and followed her to the cash register. “I don’t want to buy those clothes, I just tried them on.”

Ever raised her cellphone and cleared her throat. “Ever, Liam’s in the dressing room. Grab whatever he has in his arms and buy it for me. I’ll give you the money later but Liam needs those clothes and I know he would never buy them himself.” She read out loud and gave Liam a look. “Your boyfriend knows you better than you know yourself. And he has quite an eye for style. If he wants you to wear this, he must be right.” 

Liam wanted to argue but then his phone chimed with a new text and when he went to check it, he could not help but smile.

**[from Theo]  
** You look gorgeous and the only problem I have with those clothes is how I can rip them off without destroying them in my haste to get you naked. Because you look so damn hot.

Ever had paid for his clothes meanwhile and handed Liam the shopping bag. “Now, come on, I want to explore more of the street.” She declared and linked his arm with hers so she could pull him out on the street where Mike, Tim, and Nolan were already waiting. 

They continued to walk down the street and found themselves at a shop selling all kinds of body sprays and natural cosmetic. Ever immediately took a shine to it and pulled the guys inside and even though especially Mike protested, he was the first one to get interested in some aftershaves. Liam followed Ever because he had no idea what all those tubes and bottles and sprays were for. When it came to style and wellness, he was pretty basic. 

“Seriously, who needs all that?“ He inquired.  
“Necessarily needing it? Nobody. But it smells good and makes some things nicer and can also help.“ Ever said and reached for a small can “Take this, for example. My aunt used it to rub it on my cousins' chest when she was little and had trouble sleeping. It’s a balm you can massage into the skin and the scent helps you calm down and relax. Good for a baby who has trouble sleeping.“ She opened the can so Liam could see the balm inside. “It‘s also edible which was important for my aunt in case my cousins got it on her fingers and – like kids do – put them in her mouth or whatever.“ She grinned. “Also good for people in relationships to massage each other.“ She added with a wink in Liam’s direction.  
The young Alpha smirked and smelled the balm. “It‘s a good idea but not with that smell. It smells nice but it’s not Theo, you know? Theo needs another scent.“ He declared while he searched the shelf for the fitting scent. Nothing too fruity, nothing too sweet but also nothing too rough or too musky.

“This one?“ Ever asked after a while and held out a balm for Liam to smell. It smelled like sandalwood, exactly like Theo liked it, and he nodded. “That‘s the one!“  
The witch snickered. “You werewolves are so picky.“ She mocked.  
“You have no idea how it is smelling everything so much more. Some smells I liked before I was bitten now make me nauseous.“ Mike and Tim had appeared next to them, Nolan in their middle. Liam took one look at the boys and grinned when he saw they had their arms wrapped around each other’s waists and were pressed together.  
“First of, right. The first time I took a shower after I had been bitten and used my favorite shower gel I gagged at the smell. I suddenly noticed how chemical it smelled and it was yuk! Secondly, when I said keep an eye on each other and stay together I didn’t mean it that literally.“ He teased his Betas and Nolan just grinned at him before wrapping his arms around Tim’s and Mike’s shoulders.  
“Those are my personal security so I don’t get lost.“  
“Thank god you‘re single, heh? With such good looking security.“ Ever mused and laughed at Nolan’s happy grin.  
“We can hold hands in case you are disturbed by us being that close together.“ Tim added innocently and Liam raised an eyebrow at him and then his Beta grinned.  
“Smooth, Timmy.“  
“I try my best.“

******  
It had started to sleet after a while and the temperature sunk even further so even a few werewolves and a witch were happy to be back at the hotel where they could have a nice hot shower and curl on the bed while waiting for the rest of the pack to come home. 

Liam stood in the shower and enjoyed his second hot shower for the day. Even he as Alpha werewolf had gotten so cold all of sudden and drenched from the icy rain, he needed this now. He had found the integrated radio in the bathroom and turned it on, listening to the soft sounds while he closed his eyes and rolled his neck. The exhaustion from last night crept up on him too and if he could, he would curl up on the bed and not leave anymore. 

He left the shower after his muscles relaxed again and he didn’t feel cold anymore. He stepped outside the shower and dried himself off before he did something he usually never did: He looked through the various tubes the hotel offered their guest for their well being. With the sweat from last night as well as scrubbing off the body color and the cold, his skin had become quite dry and he needed to moisten it a bit. When he finally found a suitable men’s body lotion he started to apply it to his skin, paying special attention to his tattoos to keep them as vibrant as ever. 

When he was done, he wandered into the room again and leaned over his bag to sort through a few things and pick out some boxer shorts, comfy sweatpants, and his favorite hoodie. He knew he brought it with him to New York but the item of clothing stayed missing. So Liam took another one and got dressed again and added warm socks before he moved to the bed and turned the tv on. He flipped through the channels and finally decided on some Christmas movies. Home Alone was playing and Liam watched the first half an hour of the movie, curling up in bed and enjoying the warmth of the heating while it got nastier and nastier outside. 

He was wavering between being asleep or awake, not really following the movie but watching the rain and the snowfall down outside....

_Suddenly his vision shifted and he saw his inner wolf on the bed instead of him. The animal was blinking lazily, curled into a ball and he looked soft and cuddly, not like the wild animal he usually was. His tail flicked softly and Liam really wished he could walk over and pet his wolf._

_So he tried, slowly got closer to the bed, watching for any negative reaction from his wolf. Nothing happened and finally, he stood on the side of the bed and his wolf lazily peeked up at him. Liam extended his hand but right before he could touch his wolf, a black wolf jumped on the bed. He looked at Liam, a curious look and at the same, it had something invitingly. And then he gave Liam a curt nod before he put his head against Liam’s wolf and scented him softly, snouts rubbing against each other’s and then he put his head on the brown wolf’s back, curled up with him._

Liam blinked against the fog of the slumber he had slipped into and noticed the calming scent of his anchor surrounding him even before he noticed the lips brushing against his cheek. He turned his head and smiled at Theo. “Hey.“  
Theo chuckled and nosed over Liam’s jaw. “You already greeted me, puppy.“  
“I did?“ Liam asked.  
Theo laughed softly. “Yeah, when I came in. You seemed wavering between being awake and being asleep but you answered when I greeted you.“  
“Oh.“ Liam rolled in his back. “Guess that was when I dreamed about our wolves again.“  
“You did?“ Theo asked while he got up from the bed to take off his jeans and slip into sweatpants and then climbed on the bed next to Liam. “What did they do this time?“  
“I saw them in this room. My wolf was on the bed, relaxing, and suddenly your wolf jumped on the bed and cuddled close to him. I almost could pet my wolf this time.“ Liam reached up and play with the string of Theo’s hoodie. “And your wolf looked at me and then nodded almost as if he wanted to say: Go on, leave, this is our realm and my person is waiting for you outside of this realm.“ He still played with the hoodie string but then he noticed something. “Is that my hoodie?“  
“Sounds like my wolf is very clever. And yeah, it is. I know it‘s your favorite one and it smells like you, so I wanted to wear it the whole day. You wore my jacket last night, now I wear your hoodie.“  
“Looks good on you.“ Liam said with a smile and reached up to put his hand on Theo’s cheek. The chimera leaned down and they kissed softly.

When they curled up on the bed afterward Liam sighed happily. “How was the museum?“  
“It was amazing to see all those paintings for real. Very impressive. There were lots of tourist groups but we walked around on our own and occasionally eavesdropped on what the guide told them. It led to some very interesting new facts.“  
“Yeah? Like what? Tell me.“ Liam said and laced his fingers with Theo’s while the older man started to tell Liam about various paintings and the stories behind the paintings and the painter itself. Liam had no idea about any of this, maybe some names rang a bell but he couldn’t pinpoint it, but Theo’s eyes sparkled and he seemed so excited and happy to talk about the thing he enjoyed and that was enough for Liam to listen to his mate for hours. Just seeing Theo like this. He didn't need to see all those masterpieces himself, just hearing Theo talk about them was enough.

“Seriously, Dore, why don’t you study art?“ Liam inquired when Theo finally came to an end.  
“Because I like to draw and I like to visit art museums as my hobby but having it as a profession? I don‘t know if this would not get boring after a while. Since it’s just my hobby I can put it aside for a while when I get bored but have to work with it day in and day out? That’s nothing for me.“  
“And if you had the chance to exhibit some of your drawings? Would you do that?“  
Theo shrugged. “My art is private to me. And even if I would, I have no idea where I should exhibit them, you know?“  
Liam understood that. “Yeah, It just came to my mind.“

Theo nudged Liam softly. “How was your shopping day? Did Ever buy the clothes?“  
“She did but you shouldn’t have done this.“  
“The clothes looked perfect on you and I know you would have never bought them yourselves so I had to take drastic measures.“ He looked around. “Where are they?“  
“In the shopping bag in front of the wardrobe.“ Liam said and pointed to the general vicinity. “I’m too lazy to get up and show them to you now.“  
“It‘s okay.“ Theo said and softly stroke through his hair. “I want to stay in bed with you too.“

He pulled Liam closer and Liam pulled the blankets over them before he snuggled close to Theo. Theo leaned against the headboard of the bed again and Liam put his head on Theo’s chest while Theo wrapped his arm around Liam. They turned their attention back to the TV where Santa Buddies were playing.  
“I want a dog.“ Liam muttered and Theo chuckled while he ran his fingers through Liam’s hair. “A puppy like them?“  
“To be honest, I’d love any kind of puppy but if I could choose…Either some mixed race who is just a ball of joy or a breed that is ill-reputed as being aggressive and dangerous but is the most cuddly dog in the world.“  
“Maybe we should go and buy a dog when we’re back in Seattle. A pack dog.“ Theo mused.  
“The dog would get showered with love and affection from the whole pack. Timmy wants a dog since he joined the pack. Or we adopt a wolf, like a real wolf. I’m sure there some abandoned wolf pups somewhere and we take one home with us. It would be a way better fit.“  
Theo sucked in a breath and then he chuckled. “Are you just sleep deprived of really that illusional?“  
Liam would have glared at Theo but he was too comfortable to move. “Why? It would be the perfect fit.“  
“A wolf, a real wolf is way different than us. They don‘t have the whole person thing going on, puppy. They are complete animalistic.“  
Liam huffed. “Yeah yeah. Then a wolf-dog breed?“  
“That‘s something we can discuss, yeah.“  
“Look at you being so mature and reasonable.“ Liam snickered and squeaked when Theo pinched his side and tickled him. “No tickling the Alpha!“  
“Is that your new rule?“ Theo amusedly asked and Liam nodded. “Yeah.“ He said and his hand sneaked under Theo’s shirt to scrape his clawed fingers lightly over Theo’s stomach. “The Alpha knows how to defend himself.“  
“Uh uh, I’m sure of that.“ Theo teased him softly and gently tugged at Liam’s hair.  
Liam laughed and snuggled closer to Theo. His mate stroke over his back ad it was just perfect.

So perfect that Liam got sleepy again, comfortable with just being there with Theo. The twenty-two-year-old seemed to get sleepy as well, given that he used to stroke over Liam’s back and his strokes got slower and slower.  
The room phone ringing at the nightstand disturbed them and Theo sighed before he picked up. “Yeah?“  
Liam didn’t even bother to eavesdrop on who was on the other line, he simply hoped it would not mean he had to get up. Theo pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed it against his shoulder. “Sadie asks if you plan on leaving the hotel or if we stay here for the rest of the day.“  
Liam raised his head slightly to cast a look outside. It had gotten even nastier. “I’m not taking the ferry when it‘s sleeting. We’re staying here.“ He decided and Theo shared his decision with Sadie.  
“You tell the boys? Okay great.“ He hung up and leaned back against the headboard. “The girls are happy about staying inside and relaxing. I’m sure the boys will be too.“  
Liam hummed and returned to watching the movie and playing with the end of Theo’s hoodie string again. Theo wrapped both arms around him and just held him and Liam felt absolutely safe.

He didn’t even realize he had closed his eyes until he woke up again forty-five minutes later and blinked. He raised his head to see if Theo was awake or not and caught glimpse of the chimera slowly waking up again too. He moved a bit and a look of discomfort crossed over his face. Liam frowned.  
“Are you hurt?”  
“A little tightly wound. Shouldn’t fall asleep half sitting, half laying down, even if it’s only for a short while.” He stretched. “I’m getting old.” Theo muttered.  
Liam laughed. “It’s not that bad. You still look hot. You know, for a twenty-two-year-old. But I may have something to help you.” 

He got up from the bed and went over to his shopping bag to retrieve the balm he had brought. When he returned to the bed, he grinned. “Strip off your shirt and lay on your stomach.”   
Theo looked amused but he decided to go with what Liam wanted and pulled the hoodie over his head to drop it next to him on the bed. He rolled over and put his arms under his head. “What are you doing?” He inquired curiously and Liam sat next to him and opened the can of the balm. He dipped his fingers into it and slowly applied it to his boyfriend’s warm skin. Theo shuddered in surprise.  
“It’s a massage balm. Ever showed it to me and I thought you might like the scent.”  
Theo inhaled and then he smiled. “Sandalwood?”  
Liam grinned and hummed affirmatively while he was spreading the balm over Theo’s back and then started to massage his boyfriend’s back. He paid special attention to the extremely tense spots in Theo’s back and Theo moaned every now and then.   
“Will you be mad if I fall asleep?” He inquired and Liam shook his head.  
“No.” He mumbled and pressed a kiss to Theo’s neck. “Sleep. It’s okay.”   
Theo smiled and closed his eyes, just laid there and enjoyed the soft treatment from his boyfriend. 

Liam was pretty sure his mate had really fallen asleep and when he finished his massage, he watched the masterpiece that was Theo Raeken. He laid completely still on the bed, breathing slow, and he looked so absolutely beautiful. Strong, body without any trace of fat and all, smooth skin with some moles, light tan going on even now in the winter, and just generally so damn attractive. Liam was truly a lucky guy and he was aware of that. The sandalwood balm mixed perfectly with Theo’s own scent also and Liam loved the scent of his mate. It always calmed him and he associated it with home, so now he leaned over and gently nosed at Theo’s neck. Thanks to Theo wearing his hoodie all day their scents had mingled slightly and his wolf yipped inside his chest at that.

“You smell heavenly.” He mumbled and kissed Theo’s neck again.  
“Hm, let me guess, I smell like sandalwood and you?” Theo’s soft voice broke through. He obviously had just snoozed and not really been sleeping.   
Liam chuckled. “How did you know?”  
“I’m just that good.” Theo smirked and Liam gently bit down on his neck for that. Theo gasped softly and the scent of arousal hit Liam’s nose. Theo liked it as much as he did.  
“My wise mate.” He muttered and pressed featherlight kisses all over Theo’s back. Theo moaned and sighed every now and then but he let Liam continue. Only when Liam’s tongue darted out to lick over his shoulder blade, he squirmed slightly. 

“Fuck, Liam...” He arched his back like a cat and pressed against Liam who continued kissing and licking his back before he softly turned Theo around. He smiled at his mate and kissed Theo’s forehead, then he kissed Theo’s chest and looked his boyfriend in the eyes before he leaned down and let his tongue travel over Theo’s abs upward his nipple. Theo’s lips parted in a silent gasp and he ran his fingers through Liam’s hair while Liam’s lips closed around his left nipple and he sucked on it. When he felt the nub turning hard, he let go and licked it and looked up.

Theo’s eyes were dark, flickering between their usual green color and gold, and his breathing was faster than usual while he stared at Liam. “You have a very...” he cleared his throat. “...nice tongue.”  
Liam grinned and his tongue peeked out between his lips. Theo growled softly and Liam steadied himself left and right from Theo’s head on the bed and leaned down. His tongue ran teasingly over the mating bite on Theo’s shoulder and then he moved further up to lick over Theo’s earlobe.  “I can’t help myself. Your scent is so delicious that I just have to have a taste.” He bit down on Theo’s earlobe and sucked on it. “You also taste delicious.” The Alpha mumbled and Theo moaned and tugged at his clothes. “Get naked! Please, Liam, get naked! I need you. Fuck, please, Liam!”  
Liam chuckled and licked a stripe over Theo’s neck and then pulled back. They had not even fully started and Theo looked already debauched with flushed cheeks and darkened eyes. And they only darkened more when Liam undressed now.   
The minute Liam was naked, Theo shed his remaining clothes too and then reached out for Liam again. Liam followed and Theo pulled him on top of himself. Both moaned when their naked skin touched and rutted against each other. Liam grabbed Theo’s chin and made him look up so he could kiss him properly. 

One kiss quickly turned into a heated makeout session while their naked bodies rubbed against each other. Liam groaned and kissed Theo’s neck again. He stopped at the place where he left a bite mark yesterday. It had healed by now and Liam kind of wanted it back, it had looked good on his mate’s skin.   
Theo stroke through his hair. “Want to mark me again?”  
“I already marked you.” Liam reminded him in a hoarse voice, fingers softly pressing against Theo’s mating bite. Theo let his fingertips dance over his spine while he laughed. “I don’t care. We both love to leave marks on each other’s bodies and I want people to see you claimed me completely.”  
“Is this a new kink of yours?” Liam gently teased but licked Theo’s skin again and then kissed the skin.   
“Not a kink in general. A Liam kink yeah. Things I only like when you do them. And now claim me, Alpha. Let even non-supernaturals see I belong to you.” He demanded.

Liam was once more reminded how perfect Theo was to him. Every intimate encounter left his heart racing, mind and body longing for more. He needed his mate like he needed air to breathe, no matter how corny this sounded. He kissed Theo’s throat and his shoulder, kissed his jaw and his cheek and yet his lips always returned to his neck. And then he could not resist the temptation any longer. He bit down and left a dark mark on Theo’ skin. Theo moaned loudly and his blunt human nails scraped over Liam’s shoulder blades. 

After that Theo’s body basically opened for Liam on its own accord and their bodies found each other in the best way possible. Kisses lingered on the heated skin, fingertips danced over various body parts, bodies pressed against each other in the most heated of all dances and when Liam was finally inside his boyfriend he kept his thrusts steady and deep but slow at the same time. He wanted it to last, even though each thrust aimed for being as deep inside Theo as possible. Theo moaned and threw his head back and Liam used it to mark another part of his neck with another love bite. Theo retaliated and marked Liam in his own way when he scratched his back with his claws. 

Liam gasped in pleasure and nosed over Theo’s cheek to his lips before he kissed him. They looked at each other and Liam never stopped thrusting into Theo but at the same time, he kept his slow speed. Theo smiled up at him. “How often can I propose to you and then say that wasn’t the real one?” He asked suddenly. “Because, god, you need to marry me, Liam!” He moaned and arched his back.   
Liam chuckled and licked his lips. “Tell me you want to marry me as often as you want, I love to hear that.”

“Good.” Theo moaned and Liam smiled at him. He laced their fingers together and continued to rock his hips. This time he wasn't touching Theo but he didn’t need to anyway because Theo whimpered and trashed and soon enough he was begging Liam to cum inside him. Liam kissed his temple and Theo pulled his head down to press Liam’s head against his neck while he panted. Liam inhaled the scent of lust, sandalwood, and oh so very Theo, it was his personal drug, and then he suddenly orgasmed, his release deep inside Theo. Theo moaned into his ear and then he climaxed too, spilling between them. 

“Fuck, is this just me or does the sex keeps getting better and better?” Liam asked when he finally rolled next to Theo. They were sticky and needed to clean themselves and so he slowly got up from the bed and walked in the bathroom before he returned seconds later with a wet towel to first clean himself up and then hand it over to Theo.

“It was always perfect but it does get better.” Theo mumbled and cleaned himself up with a huff then he rolled on his side and closed his eyes, arms stretched out in front of him. He only raised his arm when Liam came back to bed again and pulled the covers over them and only then it was enough for Liam to fit under his arm and curl against his boyfriend again. Facing each other and as close as possible, both fell asleep again. 

******  
Mike raised his glass. “I wanted to say thank you for you guys coming to New York with me. This was really important to me and usually, it is a very stressful and hard weekend for me but you made it very amazing.” He said and toasted. The pack had met in the evening to have dinner in the hotel restaurant and now sat around the table, the main course already served, when Mike decided to start his little speech.

Ever sighed. “I can’t believe we’re really flying home again tomorrow. What happened to the weekend?”  
“We had fun and everybody knows time flies when you’re having fun. But Mike needs to attend this gala every year. We come back next year.” Theo said nonchalantly and the pack laughed before they all clinked their glasses together and drank from their respective drinks. Liam usually never cared about wine but tonight he had ordered white wine. Not his best choice, he had to admit that, but it would do for one dinner.

“Liam is absolutely not a wine drinker. The face you make every time you take a sip.” Tim said amusedly and Liam laughed.   
“Don’t say this too loud, from all people on this table only Theo is legally allowed to drink. But yeah, white wine isn’t really my forte.”   
Theo sighed and took the white wine from Liam’s hand but only to replace it with his red wine. “There you go. Red wine tastes better if you ask me.” He explained and sipped on the white wine. “Yeah, red wine is the better wine.”

Liam smiled at his boyfriend and reached out to put his hand on Theo’s knee under the table. Theo put his hand over Liam’s and Liam saw the small smile of his mate. This weekend had been wonderful in so many regards but one of the best aspects had been that he and Theo grew even closer. It was as if their relationship had reached a new level and Liam loved it. They were a mated couple and yet their relationship was ever growing and evolving. It was truly amazing and when he looked over he saw Theo watching him with a fond smile on his face, eyes full of love for Liam. Liam melted and smiled at him before Theo leaned over and kissed him gently.  
“Awww.” Their pack said in unison. 

******  
Liam woke up the next day to someone knocking at the door of his and Theo’s room. He grumbled and pulled the blanket higher and Theo next to him let out a sleepy growl. “Who’s waking us? We don’t have any appointments.” He muttered and yawned at the end. 

“How am I supposed to know?” Liam asked and when the knocking didn’t stop, he sighed and got up to walk over and open the door. “Room service.” A nice waitress told him and pushed the little cart into the room and past Liam. “Enjoy.” She said and then turned around to leave again. Liam blinked. “Did you order room service?” He asked Theo while he closed the door. Theo shook his head.

Liam inspected the cart filled with boiled eggs, toast, scrambled eggs, orange juice, coffee, bacon, there was literally everything there and then he spotted the little card. Curiosity got the best of him and he took it. 

"For our wonderful big brothers/dads, enjoy your breakfast in bed. Love, the pack.” He read out loud and then smiled at Theo. “Aren’t they cute?” 

Theo chuckled. “Yeah, they are.” He sat up and the blanket pooled around his waist. Despite him wearing a shirt and his pajama pants, Liam had never seen something more attractive in his entire life. He watched Theo stretch and got up to walk over and inspect their breakfast too. His first move was to fill a cup with coffee and raised it to his lips. This was what Liam wanted to see every morning for the rest of his life.

"I want to take your name when we get married.”

Theo stilled, the cup on his lips, and it took him a while to respond. “You want what? Why all of sudden?”  
Liam shrugged. “Because not only do you belong to me but I also belong to you. Mind, body, and soul, and I want to prove it with every fiber of my being.” Liam explained.  
Theo honest to god looked surprised, then he put the cup down and pulled Liam in a soft kiss. “I would be honored to share my last name with you but let’s discuss this when it’s really time, okay?”  
“My opinion won’t change, T.”  
Theo gave Liam a look. “You really want me to ask the pilot to make a turn over Las Vegas just so I can drag you into a chapel and marry you this weekend, huh?”  
“Maybe.” Liam said with a soft smile. “Mason would kill me but I would be willing to take the risk. Though maybe next weekend, I have class on Monday.”

"Why would Mason kill you? And I’m sure I will regret asking this question.”   
“We made a deal when we were kids. I claimed I never wanted to get married since girls had cooties - don’t laugh I was six I didn’t know what bisexual meant -  but Mase had this whole fantasy of a wedding. He said since I don’t want to get married but he is pretty sure I will get married one day, he would get married first so I don’t have to be afraid of getting married. So, he has to marry first.”  
“Because you’re still afraid of marriage?”  
“No, you dork, because I promised him this. The older we got, the more Mason planned his ideal wedding and I won’t destroy this for him. Maybe it’s silly but he even has a game planned that only works when I’m not married. Don’t ask what kind of game, you will be scared for life.”   
Theo smiled. “You’re really planning to go through with this, huh? Let him have his ideal wedding. You’re a true friend.”

Liam smiled softly. “He was always there for me. When things with my father got bad, I could stay at his house. After my parents divorced, his mom used to cook for me so mom could work and didn’t have to worry about her son not eating because I was not able to cook everything by myself. And when the other kids didn’t want to play with me because of my anger issues, he still stuck with me and never wanted to play with other kids. Mason is my brother, not my blood but he is my brother.”  
Theo pulled him into a soft hug. “You have an awesome best friend and an awesome brother in the same person, just like you are brother and best friend in one person. And dad to our Betas.”   
Liam chuckled and leaned against Theo. 

“Real talk, since we already talked about our wedding, do you want to have children someday? Do you want to be a real dad?” The Alpha asked his first Beta and Theo fell silent.

“I...don’t think I would be a good father. But on the other hand, I also did think I wasn’t capable of love and you proved me wrong, so maybe? One day? Not now and not in the near future. But maybe one day, yeah. And I think you would be awesome as dad, that’s another reason.”

Liam smiled. “We have all the time in the world. Well, I have. You are older, with your twenty-two years, your time’s running up.” He joked and Theo gasped and then pushed him on the bed to jump him and start a vicious tickle fight. Liam squealed and cried hysterically while he tried to stop Theo from tickling him. It didn’t work and he squirmed on the bed until he suddenly got a hold on Theo’s wrist and managed to spin the two of them around so he could pin Theo to the bed. 

“What did I say about tickling the Alpha?”  
“But I like it.” Theo said with a bold grin and Liam huffed.   
“I believe that without a doubt.”   
Theo laughed and Liam kissed his cheek. “Come on, breakfast.“

They grabbed their food and then started eating. It tasted delicious and Liam was maybe a little bit in love with the toast and the eggs. Not as much a she was in love with Theo, though.  
“By the way, I think you would be an amazing dad.“ He said while he decapitated a hard-boiled egg. Theo looked actually surprised by this.  
“You think?“ He asked and Liam smiled.  
 “Yeah. I just need to see how you act with the kids in the pack and even my mom said so. You’re good with kids.“  
“There is a difference between being goods with kids and being good with my own kid. Kids from strangers I can hand over after a while but my kid I have to take care of 24/7. I can’t fuck up. And I’m really not sure if I can do that.“  
“I know you can do that and one day, not now or in the next few years, but one day we will have either a little boy or a little girl who loves to skate and wear their baseball caps backward and is one of the most sarcastic and observant little ones around.“

Liam ended and Theo looked at him with an open and raw impression. “You described me like I’m a good person.“  
“You **are** a good person. And you deserve this life if you want it. But listen, even if you decide you don’t want to have kids, I’m not gonna leave you, okay? I love you forever, kids or not.“  
Theo put his plate aside and grabbed Liam’s shirt to pull him into a heated kiss. “You are absolutely perfect and I love you!“ He muttered against Liam’s lips. “Thank you for loving me and believing in me.”  
“Anytime. You’re not making it very hard, to be honest.“ Liam muttered with a shrug. 

Liam wanted kids when he was older and he could truly see a little boy or a little gil looking up at Theo with adoration written all over their face and loving him with their soft tiny hearts, telling their friends how cool their dad was. And how Theo taught them to ride a bike or really how to skate. It was a nice vision of the future but he also stood with his word: If Theo decided he didn’t want to become a father, they would have no kids on their own and Liam would become the coolest uncle to Mason’s and Corey’s kids and all the other pack kids. 

“What are you thinking about?” Theo asked while he ate a piece of strawberry.   
“How much I love you.” Liam replied with a smile. 

Theo smiled and leaned over to kiss Liam again and Liam kissed him back. He was truly lucky and it still felt like a miracle that he was with the man he had dreamed about for years. This year really turned out far better than he ever expected and he could not wait for Christmas to celebrate with the people he loved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next thing will be: Christmas! I'm so excited and can't wait to write it. Wohoo!!  
> Comments? Demands? Wishes? Anything?  
> Hit me up!


	25. Pre-Christmas shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack is almost ready to celebrate Christmas. Winter break started and Liam has some free time on his hands. However, before he can plan Christmas, he has a mate to take care of.

Liam hummed along to the radio. He just had finished his last shift of the year in the little bookstore he occasionally worked at. It wasn’t a regular job, but his boss sometimes called him and asked if he could fill in and it was nice to have some money on the side. Especially around the holidays, the store was busy but since Liam had helped last year and done a lot more than he needed to, this year he was off duty or so his boss said. So now he was off and had all the free time on his hands since winter break also started and he used it to wrap presents for his parents, Lana and Byron. Theo’s was already wrapped and safely secured somewhere the chimera would never look. It wasn’t even that Theo was sneaky, he just had a talent for opening drawers and wardrobes without thinking and that’s when his presents accidentally fell into his arms. Since that particular year Liam found out about this questionable talent, he made a point of keeping the presents as far away from the chimera as he could. 

“Seriously, I’m having a seizure when I see you wrapping that present.” Sadie said and stepped next to Liam to gently push her Alpha aside and take over. Liam was the first to admit he wasn’t good at wrapping presents. When you could roll it and make a bonbon out of it he was halfway decent but wrapping a present in a nice and inviting way was not his strong suit. So he was happy for Sadie’s help because she was absolutely perfect at this. Maya and Ever giggled when she wrapped the present and then held out two colors of ribbons for Liam to chose from. “For your mom?”  
Liam decided on the orange-red one and Sadie cut it and artfully twirled it. Liam was impressed. “Thanks, Sads.”  
“Anytime. I don’t want your present to fall apart and I love you but those presents looked like you had a very nasty fight with them. Tell me Theo’s present is wrapped better.”  
“It is actually. I had it get done.” Liam said in his defense.  
“And here I thought Theo’s present would be Liam with a red ribbon wrapped around his chest. Even Liam would have managed to wrap that.” Ever said and Liam gaped at her in mock irritation.  
“Excuse me? Can you not spoil my presents like that?”  
“Oh, sorry.” She formed a funnel with her hands and pressed them against her mouth. “SPOILER ALERT: Theo’s present is Liam’s dick!”  
“Ever!” Sadie and Liam hissed at the same time and Maya almost fell off her chair because she was laughing that hard.  
“I can’t wrap presents when I’m laughing.” Sadie giggled and then stopped wrapping in favor of laughing loudly. 

Mike and Tim entered the kitchen. “What are you laughing about?” Mike inquired and Maya struggled to answer because she was still laughing. “We’re mocking Liam for his present for Theo.”  
“Why? Because it’s so small? You don’t need big Christmas presents to make someone happy.” Tim said in his usual sweet way and Liam knew he had indeed talked about large things but in the context they had before however...Liam stared at Tim with a laugh. Maya, Ever, and Sadie howled with laughter and the tears were streaming down their faces.   
“You just burned our Alpha, Timmy! And the best thing is, you don’t even know it!” Maya gasped while she and Ever clung together to steady themselves in their laughter. Sadie had given up on wrapping presents for now and leaned against the counter.  
Tim frowned. 

“They were talking about my dick.” Liam explained to him and Tim blushed. “Oh. Oh sorry! Oh my god, Liam, I didn’t mean...Oh god! It wasn’t my intention to say that it’s too small! I mean, I never thought about it before but I didn’t mean to assume...Not that I want to think about it, that’s Theo’s area...”  
Mike next to him looked away and tried to bite back his laugh but he failed in the end and patted Tim’s shoulder. “Stop talking, you’re making it worse.” He laughed and Liam grinned.  
“It’s fine, Timmy. You couldn’t have known but it fit right into the context. Relax.” He said with a shrug. 

The front door slammed shut and Nolan bolted into the kitchen as if the devil himself was chasing him not moments later. “Bad mood, very bad mood!” he announced with an actual whine and if Liam didn’t know better, he would have said Nolan sought shelter when he now stepped right next to Liam, the furthest away from the entrance. Liam frowned. “Who is in a bad mood?”  
He got his answer when Theo’s angry voice rang out from the entryway. “Is it so hard to hang the jackets and coats on the hangers and not just toss them onto the wardrobe? And why are there so many shoes? Given the pairs of shoes here, an Ork army lives in this house. And for fuck’s sake who ignited a candle with Christmas scent? It smells like Santa himself farted in here!”

The rest of the pack tensed and looked at each other, unsure what to do now while Theo’s footsteps came closer. When he appeared in the doorway and saw them watching him, he growled. “What?” He snapped and the Betas flinched. They were tense when Liam was in a bad mood but Theo’s bad mood was just as bad as Liam’s. 

Theo glared at the radio. “Can you turn this off? It’s annoying.” He snarled and Liam narrowed his eyes. The mood had been good and now Theo destroyed it. Whatever had gotten into his mate, it was bad and he felt the mating bound pulse with Theo’s anger.  
“It stays on.” He ordered and Theo glared at him. “What?”

The Betas stared from one of them to the other and then displayed how fast six people could leave a room. They literally fled the war zone, left the Alpha couple glaring at each other.  
“Listen.” Liam said. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but we are not responsible for this. Don’t take it out on us.”  
“That’s rich coming from you of all people!”  
“Oh yeah, throw my anger issues into that, very mature.” Liam mocked and Theo growled. He had opened the fridge and now slammed it shut, making everything inside rattle. Liam raised an eyebrow. “Since you obviously have a lot of pent-up energy, maybe we should go for a run.” Because no way he would leave Theo alone in this state.  
 “It’s freezing out there!”  
“Oh, is the little chimera scared he will freeze off his little butt? Is he made from sugar?” Liam taunted. He wanted to rile Theo up, just like Theo did it to him when he was like that. It was their way to get the other explode and feel better in the end.

Theo’s glare intensified. “Shut up!”  
“No, I get it. Such a fine chimera can’t go out when it’s a little chilly. Don’t want you to get sick.”  
Theo’s eyes flashed in warning, but then the brushed past Liam. “I’ll push you in the biggest pile of snow I can find and then lock you out after we get home again.” He growled and Liam grinned. They both went to their room to change and then left the house. 

The pack house was central but it also was close to a large wooden, forest-like, area which was good for a pack of wolves. The minute Liam and Theo reached the trees, they started running. Theo had been right, it was freezing but hopefully, this would also calm Theo down.

The couple ran for several minutes at almost full speed, Theo always to Liam’s left and Liam adapted his speed so he could catch a glimpse of Theo. But suddenly the chimera fell back and then dropped out of sight. When Liam slowed down and frowned, a large black wolf jumped towards him and ran past the Alpha. Liam spun around and chased after Theo in wolf form. 

Theo continued running for a while until Liam stopped to catch his breath. Theo looked back at him and then trotted back to his mate. He huffed impatiently and Liam let out a breathless laugh. “I need to breathe every once in a while, T. Alpha or not.” He said and the wolf huffed again. Liam knelt down to softly cradle the wolf’s head in his hands.  
“What’s up with you?” He asked softly and the wolf whined. Theo had explained once he sometimes liked to shift because it made things easier, more bearable. So Liam had every right to worry, okay?  
But Theo just moved closer and put his head on Liam’s shoulder and Liam wrapped his arms around the animal’s neck before he pressed a kiss on the silky fur. He snuggled closer and enjoyed the feeling of the soft fur against his body. Snow was falling on them and it felt quite magical in a snowy forest, arms wrapped around a beautiful black wolf.   
“I wish I could shift too.” Liam muttered into Theo’s fur and the wolf pushed his nose against Liam’s shoulder. Liam leaned his head against Theo’s and his fingers gently stroked his fur.

And then suddenly Theo shifted back and Liam had his arms around his mate’s shoulders while Theo’s forehead leaned against Liam’s shoulder. They stayed silent for a while and then Theo raised his head. “I had a bad day at work. Nothing went right today and the customers were rude. My boss yelled at me. Some asshole scratched my truck while getting in their car and drove away. And...” He flailed his arms and Liam caught sight of something. He gently took Theo’s arm in his hands.  
“What happened to your arm?”  
“I burned myself shortly before my shift ended. It’s still not fully healed yet.”  
“Burns always heal slower, even more for you since you’re a chimera.” Liam said softly and wrapped his fingers around Theo’s underarm, shortly above the burned skin. Black veins sneaked up his arms and he bit his lip. “You’re still in pain.” He stated after taking a good amount of his boyfriend’s pain. Theo just grimaced. 

“You can tell me those things, okay? Tell me right from the start: _Liam, my day sucked and I’m hurt. Help me feel better._ That’s what I’m here for. I’m your Alpha and your mate.”  
“I know but I don’t want to burden you.”  
“You’re not a burden!” Liam stroke over Theo’s shoulder. “Come on, get dressed, you’re shivering.” Where are your clothes?”  
“Over there.” Theo pointed in the direction and they both got up to walk back to Theo’s clothes so he could get dressed and get warmer again.   
“Thank you, Liam.” He said while he slipped into his shoes.  
“What for?”  
“For being there.”  
Liam smiled and laced his fingers with Theo’s as they walked back. “Always.”

They arrived back at the silent pack house and in the kitchen, they found why it was so silent.  
“ _We left the war zone and return tomorrow. Call if one of you needs medical attention. The Betas._ ” Theo read the note on the fridge. “They were really scared we would fight. Like a real right.” He laughed softly.  
Liam grinned. “But that means an empty pack house for us. What do you say? Curling up in front of the fireplace in the living room?”  
“Sounds amazing.” Theo said and with a smile they ventured into their room to change into comfortable clothes before they grabbed blankets and pillows and walked into the living room to arrange said blankets and pillows in front of the fireplace, got the fire running, and sat down. Liam wrapped the blankets around Theo and himself and they just sat there, leaned against each other, and watched the fire.

“Did I ever tell you about my first shift?” Theo suddenly asked and Liam turned his head from where he had been slumped against his boyfriend and shook it.Theo sighed and wrapped his arm around Liam’s waist. “I didn’t know I could shift until it happened for the first time. I don’t know what triggered it but suddenly my skin started to feel way too tight and my bones itched and the light started to blend me - which is actually impossible given they were just some lightbulbs in an underground laboratory but anyway - and I suddenly fell to my knees. After this, I have a blackout. When I woke up again, I was naked and curled into a ball in some corner of the laboratory. The Dread Doctors stood in front of me, towered over me, and told me it had been a success. I was shaking, sweating and at the same time was feeling so cold, and had no idea what they meant at first; all I knew was how my body ached and I was scared because I had no idea how much time had passed. Only later, when I saw the security cam footage from that day, I found out I had shifted and tried to find out what triggered it and how I could trigger it myself.”  
“Did you manage to find out?” Liam asked softly.  
“Not really.” Theo said with a shake of his head. “I just found out that in order to learn the shift, I had to focus completely and train myself. The better I got, the better the shift went, and after some time, I managed to shift on my own accord and when I wanted to.”

“Do you think...” Liam began and played with the hem of Theo’s sleeve. “Do you think it’s possible that every werewolf can shift?”  
“I’m not sure, there are so many contrasting theories. Some say all werewolves probably can, others say only Alphas can which is proven wrong by Derek and Malia, and others again say only some weres can do that. But they also can't explain what makes the weres so special, so frankly I have no idea.” He kissed Liam’s temple. “Sometimes I think it’s unfair. I know how many wolves would love to shift completely and experience this and yet I am able to do it and I’m not even a real supernatural being. Why do I get the chance and they don’t?”  
“Don’t talk about yourself like that!” Liam revolted softly. “You got the ability to shift because you deserve it, I’m a strong believer in this. Please don’t sell yourself short.” He pleaded his boyfriend and tilted his head further to kiss Theo’s jaw, the only thing he could reach right now without moving too much. “Derek once said he evolved and that’s why he was able to do the shift. Maybe it really has something to do with evolving, like when you reached a certain point you level up.”  
“Now you make it sound like werewolves are Pokemon.” Theo teased him softly and chuckled. Liam rolled his eyes but laughed at the mental image of capturing a werewolf in a Pokeball. 

"There is so much we don’t know about the supernatural world, about being werewolves, and I know at one point I tried to find out if there was a way to resolve the werewolf curse and become human again.” He confessed after a while.   
“I don’t think you found anything, right?” Theo guessed and Liam shook his head.  
“No and now I’m glad I didn’t but back then I wanted to be human again. I was just so scared and suddenly there were 18 million dollars on my head, I was the third most valuable target on the list right after Scott and Lydia, and I just wanted it to end.”  
“You were fourteen. You weren't supposed to handle a Deadpool at the age of fourteen. You weren’t supposed to handle a Deadpool ever in your life!” Theo commented and his hold on Liam tightened. Liam’s fingers still played with his sleeve.   
“I hated Scott at first for doing this to me. I had no choice and he violated me and my body like that but then I realized he only did it to save my life. And yet...back then I wished things would have gone differently.”

He moved so he could put his head on Theo’s lap and stretch out, letting the fire warm his body. Thepo stroked through his Alpha’s hair. “When did you change your mind?”

Liam huffed out a breath while he thought about it. “I don’t know. It happened the more things happened in Beacon Hills and the more I fought. Guess I got used to the terrors, got used to the nightmares, and somehow I became number to all the gruesome things.” Liam said and looked up at Theo. “But a big part of this was probably you. Before we learned about your true motives. You were always so damn cool about everything and still so witty and sarcastic and I found myself thinking why I couldn’t be that cool.”  
Theo laughed. “Aw, puppy, I wasn’t cool, I forbade myself to feel anything. I needed to be numb, you know?” He still stroked through Liam’s hair. “I only stopped being numb and was forced to feel when I was in hell.”  
“And still you told Malia she could beat you up. You just took the beating.”  
“Because I deserved that. I deserved far worse things than just getting beaten up by an angry coyote.” 

Liam watched Theo and then caught his hand with his own and held it. “Was there ever something between you and Malia? You’re both coyotes so it would make sense. So, did you ever have felt attraction towards her?”  
“Are you jealous?” Theo asked but shook his head. “The coyote part in me was used to lure her in but I never felt real attraction towards her. I came to Beacon Hills with a plan in my mind, then I got sent to hell, and when I came back then...I tried to get my life back on track, survive, and there was this Beta I felt more and more drawn to. Maybe you know him. He has the most intriguing icy blue eyes I’ve ever seen; the softest dark blonde hair I ever ran my hands through; the most kissable red lips in the whole wide world; enough determination for two; and he is stubborn as a mule. He also has the biggest heart in the entire universe and when he’s not angry he resemblances a puppy.”   
Liam sat up. “I’m pretty sure you’re talking about Alec. The description fits him just right.” He said dryly and Theo grinned. Liam grinned back and then moved so he could kneel in front of Theo. “But real talk, I have bad news for you regarding your Beta.”  
“Oh really?” Theo replied and raised both eyebrows while his arms circled Liam’s waist. 

Liam hummed. “See, he’s taken.”  
“What a shame.” Theo muttered and Liam’s lips twitched.  
“Uh uh, he has this amazing mate, you know? A mate who always looks very stylish and even when he was homeless he looked like a freaking GQ model. He is the most sarcastic asshole around but that’s also what makes him so attractive. Because he is snarky and quick-witted, cunning, very intelligent, but he also cares deeply about the people he loves. Absolutely loyal to his mate and his friends.” He explained and Theo pulled him closer.  
“His mate sounds awesome, a perfect match for my Beta.”  
“Hm, they are the perfect couple, yeah. Both are each other’s anchors.”  
“Anchors? Oh my, I really can’t compete with that.” Theo sighed in fake-despair.  
“I don’t think you can. But you know, I’m always up to heal your broken heart, my sweet and sexy chimera.” He kissed Theo’s ear and licked the shell.

Theo grinned and pulled Liam into his lap to kiss him hungrily, sucking at Liam’s lower lip slightly. Liam sighed into the kiss and put his hands on Theo’s cheeks to deepen the kiss. The blankets pooled around their waists and the two supernaturals lost themselves in the kiss. Liam’s hands stroked over Theo’s cheeks and Theo's hands slipped under his shirt to stroke over his spine.  
Liam broke away from the kiss with s shiver and Theo chuckled. “I love you so much.”  
“I love you too.” Liam said softly and kissed Theo’s cheekbone and then his jaw. Theo tilted his head slightly to press a quick kiss on Liam’s lips, then his hands pulled up Liam’s shirt. Liam raised his arms to help Theo get it over his head and Theo threw it away. Liam hastily did the same to Theo’s shirt and then kissed his boyfriend greedily again. Their naked upper bodies touched and Liam shivered again at the sensation. 

Theo grabbed Liam and moved them so Liam was flat on his back and Theo leaned over him. They still kissed but Theo’s hand pulled down Liam’s sweatpants all the while. When it came to the point Liam had to raise his hips for Theo to pull the pants further down his strong legs, he used it to rub his groin against Theo’s and elicited a loud gasp from his mate. He loved the sounds Theo’s made and Theo grabbed his hips to pull him even closer. 

Their bodies pressed against each other and how he managed to get Liam’s pants off, in the end, was a little mystery to Theo. He kissed Liam’s chin and then sat up to pull off his own pants and drop them next to the couple on the floor. Before he crawled back to kiss Liam, he took his time in watching the picture in front of him. Liam had his legs spread so Theo could move between them, feet put on the floor, and there was a delicious flush on his cheeks and down his neck. His eyes sparkled and he looked at Theo and bit his lips coyly. 

“Like watching me?” He asked and Theo nodded. Liam’s eyes sparkled even more and he hooked his fingers in the seam of his boxer briefs to slowly, way too slowly for Theo’s liking, pull them down. Theo moaned and then bowed his head to kiss every inch of skin that Liam revealed by pulling his underwear further down. 

His cock finally was freed and Theo kissed it, licked the drops of precum away that had gathered at the tip, and Liam groaned. Theo’s own cock leaped at that and he reached down to grope himself through his black boxer briefs. The material stuck to his tip, wet by precum already. Liam moved beneath him and put his hands on Theo’s shoulders to pull himself up so he could kiss or rather worship Theo’s naked chest. His tongue danced over the smooth skin, stopped by Theo’s right nipple to blow over it and enjoy how Theo shivered. His tongue flicked out and licked over the nipple and then he sucked on it. Theo gasped out and Liam grinned but never stopped sucking. When he finally let go off the nipple, Theo groaned at the loss and ran his hand through Liam’s hair, but then Liam put the same treatment on the other nipple and Theo muttered something about losing his mind. 

Liam let go after a while and smirked at Theo. “Feels good? I want to make you feel good.” He told Theo and the chimera nodded. “Good.” Liam said and bucked his hips, pushing his erection against Theo’s and both young men moaned lewdly.   
Theo growled and his claws scraped over Liam’s hips before a shredding sound could be heard. Theo’s claws had destroyed the boxers pooling around Liam’s legs. The Alpha chuckled. “Those were my favorites.” He teased.  
Theo growled. “Were not.” He huffed. “Your favorites are the dark blue ones with the grey stripe because they are not as tight as the others and you like the material.”   
Liam chuckled and wrapped his arms around Theo’s shoulders. “You even know what my favorite underwear is. How are you so perfect?”

“I try to give back what you do to me.” Theo replied and then he pressed Liam down again, pinned him to the floor and nudged Liam’s legs open. Liam’s legs opened without the further need for persuasion and he looked up at his mate with dark eyes. Theo dipped his head and kissed Liam’s mating bite, his shoulder, and his collarbone. Liam moaned softly and his fingers ran through Theo’s hair and over his neck while he pressed closer. And then he gasped when Theo’s human teeth nipped at his throat. His whole body shivered and a fresh wave of arousal washed over him. Theo obviously smelled it before his nostrils flared and his eyes flashed gold. He kissed over Liam’s throat again, his Adam's apple, and then he suddenly bit down without any warning. Liam yelped but he showed no sign of pain. No, instead he was insanely turned on. It was obviously not only Theo liked to get bitten by Liam but also liked to bite Liam and mark him and Liam was absolutely okay with this. He wanted to carry as many bite marks on his skin as Theo carried on his own.

“Do that again!” He demanded and tilted his head back. Theo chuckled lowly and kissed further over Liam’s upper body, took his sweet time before he bit down a second time and left a dark mark on Liam’s skin, next to his mating bite. Liam’s head swam with lust and he grabbed Theo’ shoulders, nails already turning into claws. Theo turned his head and licked his fingers before he moved his hand down and his fingers circled Liam’s hole. 

Liam willingly spread his legs even further to give his mate as much space as Theo would like and then he moaned when two fingers pushed into him. Theo did to him what he had done to Theo in New York and he loved it! His whole body felt like it was on fire and his bite marks throbbed perfectly. Theo moved his fingers into experienced movements, aimed for the spots he knew would make Liam see stars. Soon enough the young Alpha was nothing more than a moaning mess clawing at Theo’s shoulders. This man was making him wild by just using his fingers and when Theo smirked at Liam and added a third finger, he almost came on the spot.

“Smug asshole.” Liam teased him, related to the smirk Theo had sent his way, and Theo retaliated by marking Liam’s neck with yet another bite mark. Liam surged up and bit down on Theo’s shoulder and now it was the chimera’s turn to gasp loudly. His fingers moved faster inside Liam and suddenly they found that one spot that made Liam’s scream in pleasure and his body shook violently. it was not enough to reach his orgasm but he was closed and Theo knew it too. He pulled his fingers out and spat in his palm again before he coated his hard length with it. Liam laid back again and his eyes were glued to his boyfriend’s fingers wrapped around his cock. “I need you inside me, T. Please. Mark me and fuck me!” He begged and Theo looked at him and his eyes glazed so darkly, far more mesmerizing than Liam ever saw them before. And then the green of Theo’s eyes mixed with the gold and his eyes flashed again. He stopped pumping his length but grabbed Liam’s hips and made the nineteen-year-old wrap his legs around his waist and then he suddenly he pushed all the way inside Liam and Liam screamed in pleasure. His fangs snapped out and his eyes glowed red while the pleasure coursed through his whole body and made him hot all over. Theo watched his body react and smirked again and then he started fucking Liam at a raw and fast pace.

Liam’s gasped and tightened his legs around Theo. His eyes were still blazing and he loved how Theo moved inside him. His grip on Theo tightened again and he pulled the chimera down on top of him. The change in angle made Theo’s cock move inside him and he called out Theo’s name when it suddenly felt as if Theo was even deeper inside him. Liam was positive he had never been fucked that deep before and Theo groaned into his shoulder. “You’re living the drive me crazy, huh? Fuck, Lee.”

Liam giggled and panted while he moved against the hard thrusts. “Lose your mind and lose yourself into me. Just like I lost myself into you long ag...Holy shit, Theo!” Theo had bitten down again, right next to the bite mark he left on his neck the first time, and now fangs had played a part in this. It wasn’t a mating bite, but it was deeper than any other bite on his body and Liam had not been prepared for the rush it would give him. That was definitively a kink of his and his claws raked over Theo’s whole back, from his shoulders to his perfect ass. The chimera roared and bucked his hips against Liam’s. It hit his spot just right and Liam screamed out again. Good thing the house was empty because their Betas would have gotten an earful in case they stayed. Theo wasn’t silent either and both etched each other on with their screams and moans. 

The smell of sex and their lust hung in the air, mixed with the coppery taste of blood from the bite marks and the claw marks on Theo’s back. The wounds would be healed by morning, even though Liam wished they would stay a bit longer.

“Oh god...Oh, Theo... bite me again!” He gasped out and Theo growled again. His claws scratched Liam’s hips and then his teeth sunk into Liam’s shoulder again. Liam mewled and clenched around the hard cock inside him and Theo’s hips shuddered. It took him a moment before he was able to resume to his hard rhythm but when he did, Liam almost saw stars. He grabbed Theo’s neck and pulled him down and then he bit down on Theo’s neck, leaving a deep bite mark on his own. Theo howled in pleasure and Liam smirked in return. He loved the sounds his mate made. He licked over the mark, lapped up the drops of blood escaping the wound, and howled when Theo’s claws pierced his skin. 

Their rough fucking made him dizzy and intoxicated with lust and he clung to Theo. Liam would have liked to prolong his climax but Theo was just pushing all the right buttons to reduce Liam to nothing more than a whimpering mess. Their bodies were coated with sweat, drops ran down their spines, and Theo moaned just as loud as Liam. 

“Love biting you...You’re mine! Mine alone!” He growled and Liam just nodded. The words did it to him and he bared his neck, giving Theo even more space to mark him and Theo followed the silent invitation. When he bit down again, Liam screamed his name and shot his load between the two of them. Fuck, Theo had not even touched him and Liam still had orgasmed. Theo himself came the minute Liam reached his high and his walls clenched around his cock. Liam gasped when he got filled with his boyfriend’s release and then only their fast breathing and their rapidly beating hearts were the only sounds in the room.

When Theo finally pulled out and rolled off Liam, Liam raised his hand and slowly ran his fingers over his neck. It didn’t hurt but he still felt the marks throbbing. It felt good and knowing he was carrying Theo’s marks made it feel even better.

“I need something to drink.” Theo’s raspy voice rang out and Liam turned his head. His throat was sore now, he had screamed too much, so a drink sounded like a great idea. He slowly sat up, tested if his body was able to move again because Theo had literally fucked him boneless. Theo had sat up too and gotten to his feet and now he pulled Liam up and steadied him. “You okay?”  
Liam smiled and pulled Theo into a kiss. “I am.” He said and Theo smiled into the kiss. When they pulled away after a little while, he gently pushed Liam towards the kitchen. They were alone so they could walk around naked, right?  
In the kitchen, Liam filled two glasses with water and handed one to Theo. The chimera gratefully took it and downed it in one go. Liam did the same and pushed the water bottle over so Theo could fill his glass again. Theo took it and filled his glass but now he significantly drank slower.

Liam filled his glass again too and sipped on it before caught glimpse of the way Theo looked at him. “What?” He asked with a laugh.   
The chimera leaned against the counter and his eyes sparkled while a small smile was playing on his lips. “You look gorgeous.” He explained. “Ruffled hair, flushed cheeks, and your eyes are sparkling.” He pushed himself off the counter and stepped closer to Liam, one arm wrapped around Liam’s waist. “And those bite marks on your skin make you look even hotter.” He whispered into Liam’s ear and licked over one bite mark on his neck. Liam shivered but laughed.  
“We just had sex, how can you be so insatiable?” He teased, even though he saw this as one of the greatest compliments Theo could ever give him.  
“I’m in love with you and you look so damn perfect.” Theo whispered into his ear and sucked on the earlobe. “Also, we’re weres, baby, we have better stamina.” He said and his hand dipped from Liam’s waist to his ass and groped him. Liam groaned and then he grinned and pushed away from Theo.   
“Back to the living room, come on!” He demanded with a laugh and proceeded to walk through the small hallway and back into the living room. 

He just had stepped into the room when Theo was behind him and pushed him against the couch. Liam giggled but let his mate manhandle him until he leaned over the backrest of one of the couches. He trusted Theo completely and submitted to how his mate wanted him now. It was just as great as when Theo had submitted to him in New York. The chimera growled behind him and nudged Liam’s legs apart. Liam leaned further over the couch, put his ass on perfect display and spread his legs. Theo growled once more and his hands grabbed Liam’s ass cheeks to spread them. And then suddenly he pushed inside Liam again and Liam gasped out, eyes rolling back. 

“Oh fuck, Theo!”

Theo chuckled and hs pulled Liam against him by his hips. “It’s exactly what I’m planning on doing. Fucking you.” He told Liam and made good use of his words when he started to move his hips. He almost completely pulled out of Liam and then slammed back in. Liam mewled and howled and gripped the couch tightly. He tried not to scratch his claws over it and destroy the furniture but Theo was making it insanely hard to control his shift.

“Theo...” He moaned and Theo continued to fuck him. He breathed against Liam’s neck and licked a stripe over it. Liam pushed back against him and his fangs sliced his lip open. He raised his hand and wiped it over his mouth, collecting the blood that almost spilled down. Liam didn’t care he had hurt himself. It would heal within minutes and Theo fucked him so insanely good, his whole body shook with the force of his mate’s thrusts, and Liam’s cock brushed against the fabric of the couch. It didn’t take a genius to imagine Liam would come without touching himself or getting touched again because Theo was just so damn good at this.

His clawed fingers bruised Liam’s hips and Liam reached over to grab Theo’s arm. His own fangs dug into Theo’s skin and the chimera hissed but Liam knew he loved it.

“Like that, Liam? Tell me? Do you enjoy this exactly like I enjoyed getting fucked by you in New York? I know you see me as equal, so do you like submitting to me?” Theo whispered into Liam’s ear, alongside other dirty things and Liam nodded. He bared his neck again, a clear sign he indeed submitted. Theo leaned over and kissed Liam’s shoulder and then his teeth sunk into the skin there and marked Liam with yet another perfect bite. Liam groaned and then spilled his release in thick white spurts. Theo groaned behind him and then he filled Liam again. His body slumped against Liam’s and he leaned his forehead against Liam’s shoulder. 

When they finally parted this time, Liam’ legs were shaking and he stumbled over to the blankets and pillow to sink down and sigh. Theo had left and now returned with a wet cloth to clean them both and then put the cloth aside. Liam watched him through half-lidded eyes and Theo chuckled when he saw him. “You may not be able to fully shift but you surely curl up like a wolf and watch your surroundings.” He said and Liam smirked and raised the blanket he had curled under so Theo could slip in. Theo did and wrapped his arms around Liam.  
“I love you.” Liam said and smiked at Theo. They were facing each other and he stroke through Theo’s hair and over his cheek.   
“I love you too.” Theo said and they kissed again. Liam tried but failed to stifle a yawn which resulted in a yawn from Theo. “Good Night, baby.” The chimera said and Liam kissed his forehead and then both curled up and closed their eyes. Not long after they were asleep.

******  
When Liam woke up the next day and took a look around he noticed the fire had died down and given the soft light streaming in through the windows, it was still early. The world around them was quite and Liam listened for any sounds in the house but there were none, the Betas were still not back. Liam smiled and wanted to go back to sleep but when he moved slightly he noticed he was hard and he moaned softly. A reason could be Theo behind him, pressed close to Liam and his own morning wood pressed against Liam’s ass. He stirred awake now again and when he noticed the position he and Liam were in, Liam heard him chuckle. Then he was pulled on his back and Theo leaned over him.

“Good Morning.” He said with a smile and Liam smiled back.  
“Good Morning to you too.” He said and pulled Theo down so he could kiss him. It was a slow and soft kiss and Theo rolled on top of Liam in the progress. Liam spread his legs and it didn’t take long for Theo to get in the right position and just push into his mate. Liam gasped softly into the kiss and sucked on Theo’s lower lip. His body was so accustomed to sex with Theo, he was ready for his mate without many problems.  
Now their bodies kept their slow and languish pace and they moaned against each other’s lips. A wonderful way to start the day and Liam softly stroke over Theo’s back. No claws, no fangs, just the two of them hidden under the covers and Theo buried inside him.

“Can we always start the day like this?” Liam asked with a soft smile and moaned lowly.

“Fine by me.” Theo replied with a chuckle and a moan on his own. He pulled the blanket higher around them so they were save from the cold air around them and it was just them in their blankets cocoon. This time his hand wrapped around Liam’s dick and used the precum from the tip to smear it all over the length. Liam sighed and bucked into Theo’s hand. 

“God, I was never that insatiable before you.” Liam told him and he leaned up and kissed Theo’s chest before he useed his teeth to mark Theo once more.  
Theo moaned louder. “I put a spell on you.” He said and then tsked. “Naughty little Alpha.”  
“Your naughty little Alpha.” Liam added and Theo smiled. He moved and kissed Liam’s neck. “Yeah, mine.” He said and his thumb circled around the tip of Liam’s cock. Liam moaned again and when Theo pumped his cock, he almost bit down on his own tongue.   
He grabbed Theo and pulled him into another kiss before he moved against Theo and made him moan into the kiss. Theo gasped and his movement turned slightly faster.  
“What if the Betas come home now?” Liam inquired.  
“The they learn how their Alphas make love. And they also learn not to disturb them while they make love.” Theo answered.  
Liam chuckled. “You’re silly.” He muttered and then moaned again. His hand twisted into the blanket and Theo continued to pump his cock. 

When they both reached their climax this time, they did it at the same time.  Liam spilled all over Theo’s hand and Theo came into him again and collapsed on top of Liam.  Liam wrapped his arms around Theo and basked in the afterglow of their morning sex. They could lay here for a while and just relax before they had to get up and get dressed before the Betas came home.

******  
The door opened tentatively and the soft steps of the pack could be heard. The betas listened for their heartbeats and when they found them into the kitchen they slowly made their way there, obviouwsly expecting a battle field. What they found instead were their Alphas baking Christmas cookies.

“Uhm, hi?” Maya said and looked as unsure as the rest of the pack.   
“Hi. Want to help us?” Liam asked cheerfully and the Betas blinked. It was Mike who finally decided to be brave,  
“We, uhm, kind of expected you to scream at each other or even fight. Broken noses and such. Like Mason said you once did.”  
“Yeah, uhm, sorry for scaring you yesterday with my bad mood. It was just a bad day at work.” Theo apologized and handed Liam the cookies he had cut out. “But Liam helped me through it. Without a fight.”

“So we could have stayed here the night instead of staying over at Nolan’s?” Sadie inquired and raised an eyebrow.  
Ever chuckled. “I think it was good our Alphas had the house to themselves for one night.” She said.  
Her fellow Betas gaped at her. “Why do you say that, Ever?” Tim asked surprised.  
Ever gave them a look and pointed at Liam. “Seriously? I’m not a wolf but I’m the only one noticing the bite marks on Liam’s neck?” She asked in lieu of an answer.   
Liam grinned and reached up to run his fingers over his neck. Theo chuckled and stepped behind him to press a kiss against Liam’s cheek. “Love you.”  
“You two are disgusting. Never stop.” Maya said.

******  
Liam was out to do the last grocery shopping before Christmas. He had done most of it already, always bringing some smaller parts into the house instead of making one big shopping trip. Now he was only out to get the last necessarily things. This time Tim had come with him to the store.

“Can you think of any reason that allows me to stay so I don’t have to fly home?” Tim asked with a haunted look on his face.  
“You really don’t want to gome home?” Liam asked his Beta with a frown and Tim shook his head. “Timmy, you know you can stay and celebrate Christmas with us. You don’t need a reason. If you want, stay.”  
“I can’t, my mom would kill me. I just don’t want to meet my siblings and hear how much of a loser I am.”  
“You aren’t a loser!” Liam immedaiately told him. “But what about your parents? Aren’t you excited to see them?”  
Tim shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. They are good parents, I don’t want to say a bad word about them.”  
“Oh no, listen! There is a difference between saying your parents are bad parents and saying they make mistakes. My biological father was a bad father because he hurt me. But my mom is a great mom and yet she makes mistakes. It’s okay to admit that. Parents are humans too and so they make mistakes.”  
“Well in that case...My mom wants our family to be perfect. My siblings are perfect, I’m not and I feel like I should apologize for that. My dad mostly goes with the flow.”  
“And your siblings make you feel bad?”  
“Yeah. They tell me I’m a loser because I’m not popular or athletic or as strong as them.”

Liam looked at Tim and pulled him in a hug. “Maybe you should tell them how you feel. Make them see things your way. And remember, they may be athletic but you are a werewolf. You are stronger than them, faster than them, and you probably age less than them.”

Mike laughed. “That’s an argument.”   
Liam chuckled. “Just don’t wolf out to show it.”  
“No way! I have Henry under control.”  
“Henry?” Liam asked amused.  
“My wolf. I like the name. My wolf is male and his name is Henry.”  
This was by far the best thing Liam heard all day (which didn’t mean anything since it was relatively early morning) but it was cute.   
“Does your wolf has a name, Liam? You met him.”  
“Uhm, I actually haven’t thought about that, to be honest. I’ll ask next time though I’m not sure he will answer me.”

Liam’s phone beeped with a new text and he stayed back while Tim continued to push the cart further down the aisle. 

[from Theo]  
 **I’m waking up and you’re gone. Where are you? Miss you.**

[to Theo]  
 **At the grocery store with Tim. Getting the last things for Christmas. Will be back again soon.**

[from Theo]  
 **I surely hope so. I’m bored without you.**

The next message from his boyfriend was a video. Theo was still in bed and had the blanket pulled down, just like his pants and boxers. He was lazily stroking his hard cock and winked at the camera. “Good Morning, Alpha.” He said in a husky voice. Liam’s mouth went dry. _Fucking tease!_

[to Theo]  
 **You’re shameless!**

[from Theo]  
 **No, just horny for my Alpha.**

Liam grumbled and pocketed his phone before he chased Tim. Tim gave him a look. “What’s up with you?”  
“Nothing. I just want to go home and curl in bed for a few more hours.”  
“Is Theo awake and sexted you?”  
Liam gaped at Tim and the dark blonde Beta blinked and then smiled. “Oh my god, I was right? That was supposed to be a joke! Oh my god!”  
Liam rolled his eyes. “We have a very fulfilling sexlife, so what?”  
“Oh, I bet it is full- _filling_!”  
“ _TIMOTHY!_ ”

******  
“What’s on your mind?” Theo asked. Righ after Liam came home and stored the groceries away he had slipped into the bedroom, closed the door and then literally jumped his mate. Thank god for the dreamcatcher and so they could have some fun between the sheets and not disturb anyone. 

But now that they were done, Liam could let his mind wander while he and Theo curled up. Theo watched Liam stare at the ceiling and now the Alpha shrugged.  
“Tim asked if I could give him a reason to stay here instead of going home. I said he can stay anytime but he said his mother wants him home. He doesn’t have a good relationship with his siblings and I’m worried he might get himself in trouble during the holidays. I’m generally worried about them all.”

“Because they are leaving the pack for the first time for more than just a few hours. But hey, they are strong people and they all learned control.”

“And we both know control can slip. Tim is faced with his awful siblings, Sadie goes home to a pack that judges her, Maya...Okay, Maya will be with her aunt and that woman seems to be cool but I’m worried the house triggers her. And Nolan will probably meet with Alec in Beacon Hills and I really hope they will manage to make up and become friends again. Ever is probably the least I’m worried about because the worst that can happen is she falls asleep while meditating and falls to her side which leaves a bruise. Or she blows herself up while making potions but she promised to be careful and her mother will keep an eye on her too. “ Liam listed all his concerns and Theo turned his face.

“Liam, they will be fine. I’m sure the minute something happens, they will call and we can calm them down over phone. I get why you’re worried but this is the first time they have to face things on their own and they will manage that. They are our Betas, your Betas, they learned from the best. And it’s only for a few days, Liam. They all will be back for New Year’s eve.” 

Liam hummed and turned on his side to snuggle against Theo. “You will probably have to tell me this several other times. When they leave and when they are gone for a few hours. When we hear nothing from them. God, I’m such a worrywart!”

“You are the Alpha and you do exactly what you’re supposed to do! You care. We all need you and your caring ways because it makes us feel less alone. We know we have you and no matter where they are, we all know we have you. We can always come back, no matter what we do. And even if - and this is such a big if because it will never happen - one of us snaps and kills, you will hug us when we come back and tell us it’s okay. Gold eyes or blue eyes, you would never abandon any of us and that is the best premise to manage it on our own. To know you have a home, no matter what.”

Liam looked at Theo. “Wow. That was the most amazing speech I ever heard. Thank you, Theo.”  
Theo shrugged. “I know how I feel about this so you deserve to know as well. Our Betas are fine.”  
A loud boom from Ever’s room made them jump. “I’m fine, the curtain is just on fire!” She screamed and they heard the sound of the fire extiungisher.   
“Our Betas are a bit chaotic but they are fine.” Theo changed his statement from before and Liam laughed. Theo had really helped him soothe his sorrows and relax a little bit. He believed in his Betas and he knew they would do fine, just like Theo said. They were all so very strong in their own way. 

“As long as Ever doesn’t burn down the house before our guests arrive, this will be an amazing Christmas.”  
“It will be an amazing Christmas for sure. Because we celebrate with people we love. I know you would have loved to have Mason and Corey here too but they are with Mason’s family at his aunt’s but hey, next year they will be here with us. They finally move to Seattle, aren’t you excited to have your best friend here again?”  
“I am absolutely excited but when I think about next year I also think about the talk with Scott and not gonna lie, this makes me anxious.”

Theo rubbed his back. “It will be fine and if not, I’m with Sadie: We will kick his ass, True Alpha or not.”  
Liam chuckled. “I love you all but I’d like to see that.” He admitted while his tongue poked out between his lips and Theo grinned.  
“There’s the little cheeky puppy I feel in love with.” He pulled Liam close and kissed him and Liam returned the kiss.   
“You fell in love with everything about me.” He reminded Theo still.  
“Fair point.” The chimera admitted after a short pause and kissed Liam again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say next stop Christmas? Oh, look at that! But the next chapter definitively will be Christmas. I am sorry for the delay, I don't know what happened. Well, Liam and Theo happened but that's another thing.  
> Anyway, what do you say?


	26. Change of Christmas plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of the Betas leave to celebrate Christmas with their families while Liam, Theo, and Mike stay behind and start preparing for their Christmas dinner and their guests. But, of course, nothing goes ever according to the plan for the Dunbar Pack.

“Have a good trip and stay safe. Enjoy your time with your family and have fun during your holidays no matter what.” Liam hugged his Betas tightly one by one before they left the house. It was quite a queue they had set up with Mike right in front of the stairs and the first to hug the others, then Theo, and Liam was the last in line to hug the Betas before they finally left the house to get in the cab and Isaac’s car waiting outside for them. Sadie and Tim would take the cab to the airport, Nolan, Ever, and Maya would take the train home and Isaac would drive them to the train station.  
“If you ever need something, just call, okay?” Liam made his Beta promise. He was still worried about them but he also wished them a great time with their loved ones at home. Now they all repeated again they would call in case of any problems and then they left. Sadie turned around and blew the remaining three guys a kiss before she climbed into the cab as the last one. Isaac raised his hand. “See you tomorrow.” He called out, closed his window again, and then started his car and pulled out of the driveway. The cab with the two Betas inside followed.

“It’s strange to see them all leave.” Mike said and Liam hummed in agreement.  
“Guys, they will come back in a few days.” Theo reminded them and cast a glance at the sky where grey clouds hung and snowflakes were falling down without stopping. “If they even make it out of town with all the snow.” He muttered and closed the front door again. Theo rubbed his hands together and looked at his Alpha and his pack mate. “Okay, we’re alone and our guests will only arrive later on. What are we going to do now?”  
“Video games?” Mike suggested and Theo nodded. The three of them wandered into the living room and Theo and Mike started a game. Liam was fine with watching them for a while, but soon got bored and left the living room in favor of wandering into the kitchen. Before their guests arrived he wanted to bake some more cookies and maybe have some hot chocolate and/or mulled wine for the adults. 

It was December 23rd and the guests they were expecting were Liam’s parents, Isaac, and Lana and Byron. They would arrive during the day or, in Isaac's case, would join them tomorrow for eating together and celebrating Christmas together. It would be amazing and Liam could not wait until they all were here. This Christmas would be truly wonderful and he wanted it to be perfect. One of the reasons he was now messing around the kitchen, humming along to the Christmas songs on the radio. Soon enough he had the hot chocolate and the mulled wine brewing on the stove and his hands covered in flour while he mixed the batter. The snowstorm outside reached new highs and big white flakes were swirling around. Liam didn’t care, he was warm and cozy, and he had no motivation to leave the house anytime soon. Even an Alpha werewolf didn’t have to be out in the cold without a good reason. 

His first batch of Christmas cookies was in the oven when Mike and Theo trotted into the kitchen. Mike sniffed. “It smells delicious in here.”  
Liam smiled from where he had poured some hot chocolate into a mug.”Thanks.” He said and handed the mug over to Mike before he filled the second one and handed it to Theo.Theo smiled and kissed his cheek and Liam chuckle warmly. He still felt giddy whenever Theo was close to him and caressed him one way or another. Sometimes Liam thought Theo had no idea about the impact he had on Liam and Liam worked to show Theo this every day as good as he could. He wasn’t that good with words, but he was good with actions, so he let his actions speak for him. Right now, for example, he pulled Theo closer to peck his lips before he let go of him and filled himself a mug with hot chocolate.

“Are you enjoying the Christmas so far, Mikey?” Theo asked and Mike blew into his mug to cool down the chocolate but then he nodded enthusiastically.   
“It’s amazing!”  
“I wish we could have done more to really celebrate your first real Christmas.” Liam muttered. “Do all the Christmas activities and such.”

“Are you kidding me? We have a tree, we decorated the tree together, I could decide on one ornament that now hangs on the tree, and I know I will get presents that don’t consist of me pointing at something at the toy store or some gift cards for the electronic store. Liam, seriously, this is the best way to celebrate Christmas for me because the most important thing is, I’m around my family, my pack.”

Liam smiled at that. Mike seemed genuinely happy and that’s all he wanted. After years of his parents abandoning him, he deserved to have those nice things. Theo put one arm around Liam and pulled him closer. “Stop worrying so much and just enjoy the holidays.” He said and kissed Liam’s neck. Liam rumbled happily and pressed against Theo and Mike grinned at the Alpha couple.  
“You can’t keep your hands off each other, can you?”  
“Have you seen Liam? Never.” Theo replied and Liam blushed a very interesting shade of red. He wasn’t used to compliments like this, especially not from someone looking like Theo. Mike snickered at his Alpha’s blush and Theo smirked and kissed Liam’s cheek again. His hand sneaked to Liam’s backside and gave him a soft slap and Liam squeaked. Theo laughed.  
“Now he’s acting all innocent and shy.”  
“I am innocent and shy.” Liam said with a sly grin and Mike and Theo laughed. “Sure.”  
Liam just grinned and sipped his hot chocolate. “Are you done playing your video game or do you want to continue?”  
“We don’t want to play when you’re not involved.” Mike explained to Liam and really, that was so cute. 

“Aw, boys, you are the cutest.” Liam said with a chuckle. “If you want you can help me bake cookies. Or, if you want to wait a little bit until I’m finished, we can play a board game?” He suggested and both Betas seemed happy with this solution. They didn’t help Liam finish the cookies - which probably was for the best since it probably would have resulted in total chaos otherwise - but they helped Liam clean the kitchen and then they settled around the kitchen table for a round of Monopoly. To sit, play and drink hot chocolate was really nice and they laughed a lot. It was carefree and Liam enjoyed this moment. With the Christmas dinner tomorrow he would have a lot of stuff to do and he used this free time right now to relax and gather his strength for tomorrow. Lana and Ilona had offered to help but Liam was the host and he was kind of stubborn about cooking for his guests. 

“Do any of you know who got who for Secret Santa?” Mike asked and moved his token on the board.   
“I’m sure Liam knows who has who but he refused to share his knowledge with me.” Theo muttered. “Hey, that’s my street. Pay up!”  
Mike handed the money over while Liam grinned. “I really have no idea who got who. I put the box outside of our room and next day the gifts were there. I’m only assuming based on the wrapper.”  
“My gift smelled like Sadie so I think she got me.”  
“No. I asked her to spay perfume over the gifts to cover up any scent. That would have been cheating in the werewolf way and would have been unfair to Ever and Nolan.” Liam declined and his Betas gaped at him.  
“That was sneaky.” Theo finally said and Liam just grinned like a cat who got the cream.  
“I live to be sneaky.” He replied and winked at Theo. The chimera snorted.

 “Puppies can’t be sneaky!”  
“Seriously, when I first heard this nickname I was really confused and thought it was silly. Now I get how Theo thought of it.” Mike admitted and Liam glanced at him.  
“I feel insulted.”  
“Good.” Mike and Theo said at the same time and with similar grins on their faces and Liam groaned. “You two are a match made in heaven!”  
“Don’t worry, Lee, Theo only has eyes for you.”  
Liam scoffed. “I’m his mate. If he didn’t, I’d file for divorce.”  
“Ouch.” Theo moved his chair closer to Liam. “That was harsh, puppy.”  
Liam looked at Theo, leaned in, and nudged his nose against his boyfriend’s. “As if I would ever leave you. You’re my Theo, I found my counterpart in you, and I love you without any doubt.”   
Theo smiled and kissed him again. Their sweet moments mattered to them both and they both needed some reassurance from time to time that they loved each other and would stay together forever. Mated or not, it was nice to hear if every now and then. 

“If you start to get cute, I’ll leave.” Mike joked.  
Liam laughed. “Shush, nobody leaves. Let’s continue playing, I have to beat Theo.”  
“Hah, I want to see that!” The older replied dryly. 

******  
“I think I ate my body weight in Christmas cookies.” Mike said.   
“I would laugh but I am too stuffed to do anything but breathe.” Theo replied.   
They were in the living room again. After the board game, they had moved with the cookies Liam made and stuffed their faces while watching silly Christmas movies. It was a fun way to spend the time.   
“I am slightly envious of Liam seemingly not even remotely fazed by the number of cookies he had.” Mike said.   
Theo looked over to Liam who lounged in one of the settles. “Did you see how Liam eats? He has no problem with stuffing his face. With how much running he does and with how often he trains for Lacrosse he probably needs the amount of food.” He theorized and Liam grinned.

“Fast metabolism, guys. That’s the key.”  
“Were you ever not skinny and trained?” Mike wanted to know. “Come on, were you a chubby child?”  
“Nope. I was quite scrawny, only my cheeks had some baby fat.”  
“Liam was an adorable child.” Theo muttered. “I’ve seen the pictures. What happened, Liam?”  
“Fuck you!” Liam called out and laughed.

The doorbell rang and Liam got up to answer the door. Byron and Lana were standing outside and beamed at Liam when he opened the door. “Liam!” Lana called out and hugged him tightly before Liam stepped aside and let them enter. Snow was slowly melting into their hair and the short moment the door had been opened had been enough to make Liam shiver. It was freezing out there and the storm seemed to have gotten worse.  
“It’s awful in the streets. I’m so happy we made it here.” Lana ranted and took her coat off. Mike and Theo had joined them entryway and Theo took her coat while she hugged Mike and then him. Byron had pulled Liam into a bear hug and now let him go again to place their bags down and shrug off his coat too. Then he hugged Mike and Theo as well. 

“The storm’s getting worse. I really hope the Betas make it home.” Liam said after a look outside and then closed the door again. “And I’m happy you’re finally here. Welcome to the pack house. Do you want some hot chocolate or mulled wine?”  
“Later.” Lana said and curiously looked around. “This is such a pretty house.” She then praised. Her and Byron had only seen the house on videos and pictures and Liam knew she had been curious to see how they lived. Byron also declined the hot beverage at first.   
“Okay, then a tour around the house?” He offered and of course the former Alpha couple accepted. 

“This is the living room. We spend most of the time here.” He started to explain and Byron and Lana curiously looked around. Lana laughed at the pictures on the wall, all pack members of just some of them, and even some of the pack members at the lake. 

Liam continued to lead them out of the living room and into the kitchen. “Oh my, such a pretty kitchen. I know why you were so happy to have it.” Lana called out. “Can’t wait to cook the Christmas dinner here.”  
“Lana!” Liam said with a laugh. “We talked about this.”  
“Liam, if you really think my wife will let you cook the dinner all on your own, you are sorely mistaken. For her not to come and help you, you would have to chain her up in the basement.” Byron said with a chuckle.  
“You shouldn’t do the work all by yourself. Let us help you! That’s my last word!” Lana said and Liam sighed. He was aware it was useless to argue any further. “Okay, fine.”

Lana beamed and followed Liam into the library and then upstairs. Byron and Lana inspected every room and Liam explained some things. “This is Ever’s little magic corner. Her powers are steadily growing.” He explained and then latched into the explanation how she managed to unload the mountain ash.

“She managed to do that? That’s impressive. She must be very powerful to even pull this off once.” Byron praised. Liam smiled. “She’s a great witch.”  
“Look at you being all proud of your pack!” Lana chuckled and rubbed his arm. “Like the great Alpha that you are.”  
“My Betas are amazing, that’s all. I have to tell them this.” Liam shrugged it off but he was happy about the praise.  
“Your Betas only get stronger being led by you, Alpha. And we have a great leader in you.” Byron told Liam and squeezed his shoulder. Theo behind Liam wrapped one arm around Liam’s waist.   
“My mate’s a great Alpha indeed. Always working for his pack. He made all of us Advent calendars and filled them with personal things. The money and the time he spent on creating this alone is insane.”  
“That was something I really wanted to do and you all deserved it.” Liam still had trouble adjusting to all the praise. Theo chuckled and kissed his cheek.   
“It was a great idea. Stop being so modest and accept the praise!”

 He let go of Liam and opened the door to their bedroom. It was the last room on the tour and Lana took one look inside and laughed. “The biggest room for the Alpha couple.”  
Theo nodded with a grin. She gently nudged his shoulder. “Would you have ever thought you would be part of this?” She asked him in a teasing manner.  
“Part of an Alpha couple in general or part of this Alpha couple?” Theo asked back.   
“Both.”  
“No and no. Especially not a part of the Alpha couple consisting Liam. I mean, months ago I had no idea he felt the same way about me as I felt about him.”  
“Oh, honey, but everybody else did. It’s hard to overlook heart eyes that big.” Lana teased Theo and he laughed and actually blushed a little bit. Liam grinned amusedly and now it was him who kissed Theo’s cheek. 

The sound of the front door opening could be heard and Liam frowned. He stepped back from Theo and went to check out who had just arrived. He was halfway down the stairs when he caught glimpse of Ever, Nolan, and Maya, all kind of solemn and with snow in their hair.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” The young Alpha asked and sat down on the stairs.   
“There is too much snow, all trains are canceled.” Nolan said.  
“We left the train station but after a few miles, the train came to a stop and then drove back. The snow is getting worse.” Ever shook her head to clear off the slowly melting snow. “No way we would have made it home. A friendly cab driver offered to drive us back here, thank god for that.”  
Maya hung her coat on the coat rack. “The train was freezing and as much as I want to see my aunt, spending Christmas on a freezing train full of strangers is not my idea of a good Christmas.”  
“I’m sorry you can’t celebrate Christmas with your families but welcome back.” Liam got up again and hugged his three Betas while the others gathered around too. “But I’m also happy we can celebrate Christmas together.” He added and the three smiled.   
“Our first Christmas together.” Ever said and hugged Liam a second time. He smiled and gently squeezed her for a moment.   
“I heard something about a freezing train: Does anybody feel like hot chocolate?” Theo said and a chorus of “yes” sounded up so they all returned to the kitchen and then sat and talked about each and everything. 

Suddenly Liam’s phone chimed up with an incoming call and he picked it up and left the room to talk in silence.   
“Hey, mom.”  
“Liam, honey, listen, your dad and I really tried leaving Beacon Hills but the streets are closed. The storm is raging and we can’t see anything. I’m afraid we won’t make it to Seattle in time, sweetie.”  
Liam could not lie, that was sad. But he would never want his parents to drive in a snowstorm. He swallowed. “Where are you now?”  
“Back at home. We can try in a few hours.”  
“No, it’s fine. We can see each other after Christmas, I’m sure we can make time for a visit. Maybe we can come to Beacon Hills. I don’t want you to drive in this weather.”  
“I’m sure we can take some days off and come to visit you. And we talk during the Holidays, right? How are Theo and Mike?”  
“Good, they’re good. We surely talk. Maya, Nolan, and Ever didn’t make it home either and returned. Seemed like Byron and Lana were lucky to arrive before it got worse.”  
“Stay safe, okay? Don’t go outside, werewolves or not.”  
“We’ll stay inside, don’t worry. Did all the shopping.” Liam looked out of the window. “With how it’s snowing we’ll probably end up getting snowed in any way.” He muttered under his breath. “But you do the same, okay? Stay safe and don’t go outside. Tell dad I love him, okay? Love you both.”  
“We love you too, honey. Tell Theo that too. And the other boys and girls. Catch you on Christmas.”  
Liam hung up and stared at his phone for a moment then he sighed and returned to the kitchen.

“My parents are not coming, the weather is too bad.” He announced with a sad smile. Theo who had refilled his mug obviously noticed his sadness and sat it down on the counter to walk over to pull him into a hug.  
“Oh, sweetie, I am so sorry.” Lana said sympathetically.   
Liam shook his head. “It’s fine. I’d rather have them not here but safe at home than driving around during a snow storm. They can visit one other time.”  
Theo squeezed him and Liam’s arms wrapped around his mate as well. He hid his face against Theo’s shoulder and inhaled Theo’s scent, it made him feel secure.

“Uhm uhm, this is me trying to lighten the mood again.” Nolan suddenly spoke up. “The two of you are standing under the mistletoe.”   
Theo and Liam both looked up and Nolan was right, they stood right under the little twig. Both laughed and it worked to lighten the mood again. Liam wasn’t alone, he had half of his pack around as well as the love of his life. He put one hand on the back of Theo’s neck and pulled him in, their lips meeting in a loving kiss. Theo’s hands stroked over his waist and then wrapped around Liam and lifted him up. Liam squeaked into the kiss and everybody else laughed. He felt Theo’s lips curling into a smile as well and then Theo sat him down again and they parted.  
“I love you.” Theo said softly and Liam nodded. “I love you too.” He replied and rubbed his cheek against Theo’s. Theo chuckled and kissed his neck lovingly. “My naughty little - and mostly sweet - Alpha.”

The front door slammed shut again and suddenly Sadie and Tim stood in the kitchen. Sadie was visibly upset. “They canceled all flights. I waited for hours in hope of finding another flight but they literally closed the airport!”  
“Because of the snow.” Tim added even though everybody already could imagine that.  
Sadie’ lips trembled. “Oh wow, you’re upset.” Maya said softly.  
“I wanted to go home and meet my parents again after I gained control. I wanted to hug them and show them how much I learned and how good I became in staying in control. I wanted them to be proud of me.” Sadie lamented and tears streamed down her cheeks. To everyone’s surprise, it was Mike who stepped to her and hugged her in consolation. Maya was the second one and stroke over her hair.   
“They are proud of you if you’re there or not. You are their daughter.”  
Sadie snuffled and looked up. “Why are you here?” She asked Maya and the black haired wolf shrugged. “The snow. No trains are leaving town.”  
“Oh.” Sadie said. “So we’re all here for Christmas?”

“Yeah.” Liam confirmed. “My parents aren’t coming either due to the weather.” He told his Betas and shrugged sadly. “Maybe we can reschedule Christmas and invite all our parents here after the actual holidays? That way we would meet them before the year ends and they can maybe even celebrate New Year with us.”   
“That is a fantastic idea, Liam. Spoken like a great Alpha.” Byron chimed in and Liam smiled gratefully at him. He had just wanted to make Sadie smile again. They all would have loved to see their families again but now they had this situation here and while it was sad on one hand, he was also ecstatic about celebrating Christmas with the whole core pack.  
“Guys, we are all together for Christmas? Our first Christmas together and Liam’s idea is great. Let’s be...I don’t know, jolly!” Tim called out and everybody laughed. 

Sadie wiped her tears. “Yeah, you’re right, Timmy. I’d have loved to see my parents but now I will see them some days later and that’s great too. I would have missed you during Christmas anyway so hey, this is awesome too.”  
“We would have missed you too, Blondie” Theo said fondly and she stuck her tongue out at him for the nickname. The first Beta just chuckled and then offered them some hot chocolate too which Tim and Sadie gladly accepted before they joined the pack in talking.

Liam ended next to Byron after a while and the former Alpha gave him a soft smile. “How has life been treating you, young wolf?”  
“Good, really. I plan on talking to Scott shortly after the new year comes around, so I’m anxious about that, but I see how far my pack has come and what we already accomplished and I am just so proud of them. I told my parents about werewolves and all, I finally told my crush how I feel about him and he didn’t reject me and now we’re mated an in a passionate and perfect relationship, we moved into a freaking pack house, so the years ends on a pretty great note.”

Byron nodded with a soft laugh. Liam drank his hot chocolate and considered something while he swallowed the sweet drink. “Byron, can I ask you something? You know so much more about the pack and the history and I’m still reading the journal but I have not found what I’m looking for yet.”  
“You can ask me anything, Liam, and you know that. What’s on your mind?”  
“Do you know any narratives about Alphas seeing their wolves in their reflection? Or them dreaming about their wolves on a regular basis? As if the wolf wants to give them a message?”  
Byron took his time with answering. “Do you see your wolf in your reflection?”  
Liam nodded. “The dreams are regular too and the other day I accidentally used more strength than I wanted and hurt Theo. He laughed and said it’s okay but I was still shocked. Sometimes I feel like wolf and person are too close to each other.”  
“That’s the scary part of working with your inner animal. That person and wolf become closer. It takes a lot of bravery and in the beginning, you will probably feel very overwhelmed. I see you already reached this stage. But from what I saw when you connected with your wolf and from what you told me, did it ever feel like your wolf was hostile?”  
“No. But I’d have liked to know why it’s happening.”  
“You know some of our ancestors had this strong bond with their wolves and even gave them a name. Your wolf is your closest friend and always with you. He protects you, no matter what, maybe that’s why he appears. To tell you, you’re not alone.”

Liam smiled. This was a pretty nice interpretation of all this and it took some of the worries away he had in the back of his mind. His wolf never did anything to harm him since they started to work as a team and Liam felt himself trusting his inner animal. “Tim named his wolf Henry.” He called out and everybody turned to look at Tim who blushed.  
“This is a very lovely name and I’m sure it suits your wolf perfectly.” Lana said with a smile and Tim beamed proudly at her and nodded. 

Theo leaned over to Liam. “Do you have enough food for all of us?” He suddenly asked, partly to tease and partly because he was really interested.  
“I have to fiddle a bit and maybe it won’t be all just the usual Christmas dish but it will work in the end.” Liam replied. 

******  
“Do you feel reassured now?” Theo asked while he pulled the covers back to crawl under. Liam did the same on his side of the bed and made a questioning humm in Theo’s direction.

“The Betas are spending Christmas with us and you don’t have to worry about them.” Theo clarified and pulled the blankets over his chest when he was finally underneath the warm covers.

“Now you’re making me sound mean. Yes, I was worried but I also would have liked for them to meet their parents again, okay?” Liam defended himself and tugged the blanket around him before turning on his side and facing Theo.

The chimera shook his head. “I wasn’ t trying to be mean, I’m sorry. I just know how worried you were, so I thought it must be reassuring for you to have them here. Plus, Christmas with the pack will be amazing.” He smiled at the end and Liam had to smile too. He gently kissed Theo and then moved into a better position to curl up in the warm bed. Theo used it to snuggle close to him and Liam’s arm wrapped around his mate. 

“This Christmas surely will be amazing, it already was amazing today. After they all overcame the frustration of not leaving the town due to the storm, they started laughing again and were happy. I want to see my pack happy.”  
“You have to be happy too, Alpha.” Theo muttered and kissed Liam’s collarbone. His tongue licked the mating bite and Liam moaned softly.   
“You want me to be happy? Then never leave. I know you won’t, so I don’t see any reason not to be happy because you make me happy.” Liam frowned. “Did that make sense or did I get too tipsy from the mulled wine?”  
Theo raised his head and chuckled. “It made sense and you make me happy too so I will never leave you and I know you will stay too. But are you really tipsy?” He asked amusedly.   
Liam moved his head from one side to the other while pondering. “Not really. But the wine was tasty.”  
“Tasty it was indeed.” Theo agreed. 

He watched Liam with a soft smile. “What?” Liam asked with a smile of his own and carded his hand through Theo’s hair.   
“I hope this Christmas all your wishes come true. You surely deserve it.”  
“My biggest wish already came true, I got you. Every other present will be great but not as great as this. I finally get to call you my boyfriend.”  
“And your mate.” Theo added and he kissed Liam again.   
“The love of my life.” Liam continued between the kisses the couple shared.  
“The best sex you ever had.” Theo teased and Liam laughed. “True.”

They looked at each other again and Liam played with the pendant on Theo’s necklace before he pulled him down for another kiss.   
“We should sleep, tomorrow will be a very exhausting day. It will be great but also exhausting and you need all your energy.” Theo muttered against Liam’s lips and he sighed, accepted his boyfriend was right. He needed his sleep.   
“Good night then, baby.”  
“Good night, Lee. Sweet dreams with me in them.”  
Liam chuckled and squeezed Theo’s waist before he closed his eyes. Soon enough the couple fell asleep wrapped around each other. 

******  
 _Liam woke up and rolled on his back. He blinked the last remains of sleep out of his eyes and then sat up. His wolf stood at the open door of the bedroom and obviously waited for Liam. The Alpha sighed but gently pulled away from Theo’s  hold and pulled the covers back. The air was chilly but Liam didn’t care when he followed his inner wolf out of the room and downstairs and finally out of the house. The animal led him directly to the woods behind the house._

_“Where are we going? What do you want to show me?” Liam asked and tried to keep up with his wolf’s pace. And then the wolf stopped and looked at him again, tilted his head lightly.  
_

An icy breath hit Liam right in the face, along with some snow the breeze had blown from a tree, and he blinked. His wolf had disappeared and Liam was awake again, in the middle of the snowy forest, and now that he wasn’t dreaming anymore, he noticed how cold it was. He shivered and wrapped both arms around him and then turned around to walk back to the house. He jumped when Theo stood right behind him.

“Holy shit, T!”  
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you!”  
“What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” It was still dark and Liam had no real idea about the time but he figured it must still be in the middle of the night.  
“I followed you. You jerked up in your sleep and that woke me up. I talked to you but you didn’t even register I was there so I followed you while you sleepwalked.” Theo explained his sudden appearance.  
“Did you see my wolf?” Liam inquired.  
Theo shook his head. “No. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t there. Maybe your inner wolf didn’t want to show himself to me, that doesn’t make him any less real.” He said hastily when the corner of Liam’s mouth dropped. 

Liam groaned. “Sometimes I feel like I’m going crazy. I’m the only one seeing him and all.”  
Theo stepped closer and cradled Liam’s face in his hands. “You’re not crazy, your wolf is there. He guides you and all your dreams always had a point or led you to something. Trust him more, okay? You’re not crazy, Liam.”  
Liam smiled weakly and leaned up to kiss Theo. “I wandered out into a forest in the middle of a snowstorm. It is a little crazy.” He said with a chuckle.  
Theo laughed softly. “You’re Liam. Crazy is some sort of default setting for you. May I remind you what kind of pack you’re the Alpha of?”  
“You say the sweetest things. But I’m in love with you, so I’m pretty crazy.”  
“Absolutely.”

The couple smiled at each other. The storm had calmed down a bit during the last few hours but it was still going on and the snow was still falling. It was icy outside and they were about to go back when they heard a whine and the angry voice of a man. “Shut up, just shut up!”

Theo and Liam looked at each other and frowned before they synchronically turned in the direction the sounds came from. Both marched to find out what this was about and soon reached a small frozen lake. A man was holding a black sack with something wriggling inside and whimpering again. He knelt at the lake and used a hammer to break the ice. Liam’s breath hitched when he realized what this guy was about to do. Whatever was in the sack, he wanted to drown it.

“Hey!” He called out or rather roared and the guy’s head shot up. He saw Liam and Theo approaching and sneered.  
“Go away, boys, there’s nothing to see!”   
“Drop the sack!” Liam growled and when the guy startled he knew his eyes flashed. The guy got to his feet but still held the sack.  
Theo tilted his head with a grim smile. “I would listen to him. I’m the psychotic one, he’s the crazy one, you don’t want to mess with us.” He warned the man with a growl at the end. It worked and he dropped the sack before turning around and running away with a scream. Liam looked at Theo then both slowly walked to where he had dropped the sack.

“Be careful.” Theo instructed and Liam nodded. He slowly pulled the sack away from the water and then used his claws to open the tape holding it together. The sack slipped down and revealed two clearly malnourished puppies. One was grey with white and the other seemed to be red with white, Liam could not really see it due to the night around them. “Oh my god!”  
The puppies squirmed and whimpered, clearly afraid and tried to get away from them, but were too weak in the end. They shivered from the cold and Liam really wanted to help them but they would not let the two young men touch them.  
“Flash your eyes.” Theo said and knelt down. His own eyes flashed too and when Liam let his eyes glow red, the puppies calmed down enough that Theo and Liam could pick them up.

“Liam.”  
“No, don’t even start with letting them here! We have to help them!”

“I was just going to say we need to change since we’re still wearing pajamas. I know you would help them. You always want to help, no matter if person or animal. I know there is an animal clinic open 24 hours in town. Let’s get change and then let get them some medical attention.” Theo said with a soft smile. Liam’s heart fluttered. He had the best mate in the history of mated couples ever. 

They carefully carried the puppies back to the house and into their room. Liam had been so focused on the poor animals, he ignored how cold he was. It now hit him full force and he pulled out his thickest sweater and jeans along with thick socks. The puppies were wrapped in a fluffy blanket and put in an open cardboard box to make carrying them easier. They still whined and squirmed but were noticeably quieter than before. 

“I googled the address of the clinic. Come on, let’s go.” Theo said and they quietly walked to the house and got into Theo’s truck. It was still the middle of the night, according to the clock on Theo’s dashboard 3:27 and Liam groaned. Another night with little no sleep and that on Christmas when he had a lot of stuff to do. But on the other hand, they were currently saving two lives.  
He looked down and gently reached into the box to let the puppies sniff his fingers. They did but were still incredibly weak and Liam hated the guy who mistreated them so badly. “You’re going to be fine, we’ll get you help.” He said and stroke over the red puppy’s head. The little fella just tiredly blinked at him and Liam heard their heartbeats getting slower. “Theo!”

“We’re almost there, Liam! There is still a lot of snow on the streets in case you haven’t noticed!” Theo grumbled and carefully maneuvred his truck towards the clinic. Both let out a relieved sigh when they pulled into the parking lot. Theo jumped out of his truck and rounded the car to take the box from Liam so Liam could also get out of the car.

The clinic was almost empty, aside from a small reception desk with a young woman behind the counter, and a waiting area where currently one woman was waiting who held a turtle in her hands. The reception clerk looked up when the two young men entered and Theo explained why there were here.   
“Okay, thank you for bringing them here. Do you want to wait or do you want to leave the pups here?” She asked and Liam blinked.  
“How many people just bring them in and then leave without caring if they make it or not?” He inquired and she scoffed. “You would be surprised.”

The nurse pointed to the waiting area. “Just take a seat, the doctor will soon see you.” She said politely while the woman with the turtle was called up from another nurse or the doctor herself and left the waiting area. Liam and Theo sat on the first two chairs and Theo cast a look at the pups. He reached into the box and let the grey pup sniff his hand before he was allowed to slowly pet them. “I hope they make it.” He said quietly.   
“Me too.” Liam muttered and leaned against Theo. 

It took a while but suddenly the woman with the turtle left again and the other woman stepped up to him. “You are the two guys with the puppies. Come on, I’ll have a look at them.” She smiled warmly and Liam trusted her with the puppies immediately. Her name tag said she was Dr. Foster and she led them into an exam room. Liam carefully put the box on the examination table and then stepped back so she could work. She picked the grey puppy up and put it on the table to examine it.   
“You said you found them?”  
Theo nodded. “A guy wanted to drown them. They are very weak.”  
“I hate people who do that but for some people, the way to the animal shelter is too far and this is the easier way. They are just some stupid animals after all.” The doctor said bitterly and then worked efficiently to make sure the pups got the best treatment possible. She gave both pups an injection and ran some tests before she made some notes.  
It took its time and Liam sat on at the side, hand linked with Theo’s while he worried his lip. He really hoped the pups would make it and not die because some asshole decided to torment them. 

“They are healthy. Clearly malnourished and traumatized but healthy overall. Some food and love should do wonders.” Dr. Foster finally said and Liam let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He and Theo stepped to the table again where the two pups were curled together. Dr. Foster petted the red one. “They are the same age, so I guess they are from the same litter. And they are both males, two male puppies.”

Liam smiled and gently stroked the red one’s head who lazily blinked at him. Dr. Foster cleared her throat. “You can leave them here, we will give them to the animal shelter.”  
Liam sighed softly, especially when the dog licked his fingertips. Theo gently petted the grey dog and then he suddenly looked up. “Can we take them home?”  
Liam turned his head and looked at Theo, the surprise was written all over his face. Theo shrugged. “We saved them and just like any other member of our family, fate brought us together. We can’t abandon them now.” He explained and Liam smiled and leaned in to kiss Theo. “You’re the best!”

The doctor smiled. “Of course you can. If you think of names I can fill out the documents.”  
Liam looked at the red puppy he was still petting and who now looked at him with big round eyes. “Koda.” He said when the name suddenly came to his mind. “That’s Koda.”  
“A beautiful name.” Dr. Foster praised. “And the grey one?”  
Theo tilted his head and smiled when the pup nibbled at his finger. “Aka.” he decided.  
“That sounds nice. Does it have a meaning?” Liam asked with a smile while the doctor went to get everything ready.   
“It means shadow in Hawaiian. I heard it when I was a kid once and I always wanted a pet to call Aka. Now a grey little one will be called shadow.” He grinned and then looked at the doctor. “Uh, are they mixed breeds? I’m just curious.”  
The doctor shook her head. “No, this two are purebred Tamaskans, from what I can see. They show every attribute of this special breed. They were created to have a dog that looks like a wolf and they get quite large.”  
Theo grinned at Liam. “There you have your wolf. You wanted one as a pet and this is as good as you can have it.”  
Liam laughed. “Probably.” He said and gently petted Koda.

******  
Coming home with their new pets made Liam grin. The animal clinic had given them enough food for Koda and Aka to last the holidays but they would have to go shopping for the newest pack members afterward. For now, two bowls from the kitchen would serve as the water bowl and food bowl and the blanket was placed on the floor in Liam’s and Theo’s room so they had a place to sleep. The rest of the pack was still sleeping and Liam sat cross-legged on the floor and petted the dogs who were slowly falling asleep. 

“You don’t mind this, do you? Having kids with me already.” Liam joked and looked at Theo who crouched down next to him. Theo laughed softly and tugged the blanket higher to cover the shivering Aka. The dogs were so thin, not more than skin and bones, they were freezing even though the heating was on.   
“If we get kids after we saved them from getting killed, I would like to have as many kids with you as possible.”   
Liam smiled while he blushed at the same time. Theo was just so sweet sometimes. Theo watched him and chuckled. “I always love to see my naughty little Alpha blush. It’s a good look for you.”  
“Stop it!” Liam said and blushed even harder. The pups had finally fallen asleep and he leaned against Theo. “I’m happy we found them.”  
“They continue the tradition of this pack: Getting saved when needed and coming into a loving home. The pack will freak out when they meet them.” Theo said and cuddled close to Liam. He kissed Liam’s neck. “But let them sleep now and we could use a few more hours of sleep as well.”

Liam had to agree and so he nodded and slowly got up. He pulled Theo to his feet as well and both crawled into bed. Now the exhaustion set in and Liam yawned. He curled up with Theo and watched the sleeping pups and then he fell asleep too.

Only to be woken up what felt like five minutes later but a glance at the alarm clock told him it had been three hours later. He still groaned and pulled the blankets over his head. He heard Theo’s muffled voice. “Guys, can you keep it down? Liam’s still sleeping!”

“Why is he still sleeping? I thought he planned on getting up early to get everything ready for Christmas.” Nolan replied.  
Liam could imagine how Theo raised his eyebrow at this. “We both didn’t get much sleep last night and no, not because we had sex! Get your mind out of the gutter, all of you!”  
The pack still teased Theo and Liam listened for a while before he threw the covers aside and got up. The pups were squirming in their makeshift bed and Liam ripped the door open. “We didn’t have sex last night, we were too busy saving the two newest pack members!” He called out and the whole pack stilled to look at the Alpha. Even Lana and Byron looked quite curious and Liam nodded over to Theo. Both walked back to their room and picked the pups up to show them to the pack.

“Puppies!” Sadie and Ever squealed and Liam shushed them. “Guys! Take it easy! We found them last night after my wolf led us into the woods again. Their former owner wanted to drown them.” Liam explained.

“What? Oh my god, poor babies.” Nolan said and reached out so Aka could sniff his hand. The dog whined and pressed closer to Theo at first but then got braver and stretched to sniff Nolan and then the others. Koda did the same and both obviously realized they were safe and stayed relatively calm in the arms of the Alpha couple. Byron smiled and Liam caught his glance. “It’s like my wolf knew they needed help and thus he led me there.” He confessed and though he said it loud enough for everyone to hear, he mostly said it to Byron. 

Byron nodded. “Liam, did you already read about Mckenna Sholes in the Alpha journal?”  
Liam shook his head. “No, why?”  
“You remind me a lot of her.”  
“Really?” Liam asked with a smile. “Why?”  
“Mckenna was also very close to her wolf, some stories even say her wolf was her spirit animal, always around her, like a guardian spirit. Other stories even mention a real wolf from the woods who took a liking to her and was always close to Mckenna. She often told stories how her inner wolf led her somewhere and helped her in life.” Byron explained Liam and the nineteen-year-old Alpha smiled.  
“Mckenna was also one of the few Alphas that was so close to her wolf she managed to fully shift.” Lana added to her husband’s explanation. “A truly remarkable women. And just as caring and hard-working as you were, Liam.”

This was one of the nicest compliments Liam ever received and he smiled softly before he tilted his head and pressed a gentle kiss on Koda’s head. To resemble one of the former Alphas was huge and Mckenna seemed like a truly amazing woman. He could not wait until he reached her part in the journal. 

“Now, we have a Christmas dinner to prepare. Isaac will arrive soon and we can’t let our guests starve, can we? The Alpha says no.” Liam said and put Koda down. The small dog yipped softly and tentatively started sniffing around. Theo sat Aka down too and the two puppies slowly discovered their new home while Liam walked into the bedroom to grab his clothes, take a shower, and finally start the day. 

******  
Despite more people attending the Christmas dinner than expected, the food was enough. Liam had tricked a bit and added some homemade potato salad and some sausages and one cake more but everybody got enough to eat. The pack sat around the table in the dining room and talked and laughed and really it was amazing. 

Maya cleared her throat at one point. “I’d like to use the chance to say something. Actually, we all would like to say something and somehow I got elected as the spokesperson. Why did I get elected as the spokesperson again?” She asked her fellow Betas. 

“Because you’re cute when you try to find the right words.” The instant reply came and Lana, Byron, Theo, Liam, and Isaac laughed. Maya considered that and then nodded. “Okay, got it. Anyway, Liam, Theo, we, the Betas, would like to say thank you. None of us would end the year on such a great note if it weren’t for you. You helped us through everything and we really wanted to make sure you know how grateful we are for you.”

Ever took over from Maya. “You’re great, guys, and you helped all of us to get better. You gave us a home base and you never asked for anything in return. And you were so open and honest with us. Thank you for this too.” The last had been addressed especially for Theo and he smiled softly. Liam squeezed his hand. 

“I have five siblings and they all are older but none of them is as great as you. You never made me feel like a loser, no you help me get better in things I’m really good at. You always protect us. That’s true strength.” Tim added.

“This is getting highly emotional but they others are right. And we thought this would be a great opportunity to say thank you. Because you deserve to hear it. So thank you for everything you already did for us and for everything you will do for us in the future.” Mike also joined and Liam was completely touched. His Betas were just too good to be true. 

“Thank you guys.” He said softly and when he looked over to Theo he saw tears shimmering in his mate’s eyes. That someone was so happy to have Theo around, so grateful for Theo being there, was all so new for Theo and he never experienced this to such an extent. He knew Liam was grateful to have him but that was different.

“No, thank **you** for being the awesome big brothers we needed.” Nolan said with a smile. 

Sadie raised her glass. “Cheers. This pack will stick together for as long as we can and we will take on everything. Because we’re family and family never abandons anyone!”  
They all raised their glasses. “Cheers!”

Isaac sipped his drink and then sat his glass down. “If you keep this spirit up, the talk with Scott will be a piece of cake. By the way, have you already thought of a meeting point?”  
Liam shook his head. “Not yet. Why?”  
“I wouldn’ t meet in Seattle or in Beacon Hills.” Isaac put in his own two cents and Theo looked surprised. “Why not?”  
“Because - and I really don’t want to be the bad guy - but you have to keep in mind that everything could go wrong. Sure, we all hope Scott will be happy and everything is sunshine and roses but I’m probably too realistic to think it will go without a hitch. That would be too easy and easy isn’t in the vocabulary of any resident from Beacon Hills. So, be prepared for the worst, and if you’re in his territory then it could be seen as a threat. You’re two Alphas, after all. I’d recommend meeting on neutral ground. Maybe somewhere in the middle, on a viewing platform or whatever.”

What Isaac said sounded absolutely logical. Liam wished for the best but he had to be prepared for the worst. “Good point.” He said.  
“Also, Corey and Mason need to be there too, it’s essential. You’re making a statement. His pack against yours. You’re not only saying you’re an Alpha, you’re also saying you’re an Alpha with a pack full of strong Betas of all kinds. So, the whole core pack needs to be there.”   
Another valid point Isaac brought up. Liam looked at him. “Are you coming with us? As mediator?”

Isaac smiled. “Sure. If it goes south, I can attract some of the anger. Because I’m sure some people would be not that happy to see me again.”  
Liam laughed. “Thank you, Isaac.”  
“Nah, don’t mention it. I live to surprise people.”  
“Do you think it will turn out bad?” Liam inquired further and Theo reached out to put his hand on Liam’s leg and gently squeeze it. Isaac let out a breath and shrugged.  
“Honestly? I have no idea. Scott is a great person but I also know how it is to be on the receiving end of Scott McCall’s anger. So, really, it could go both ways.”  
“No matter how it goes in the end, you talked to Scott and that’s the most important thing. No more secrets from your former Alpha.” Byron said softly and that was also a valid point. Liam still hoped it would all turn out well.   
Liam nodded. “Right.” He said thoughtfully. 

* * *

Author's note:

In case you're curious:

 This is **Aka**

 This is **Koda**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter was frustrating because every time I sat down to write it, I got disturbed. It seriously disturbed the creative progress and I almost lost my mind. But now it's finished and I can't wait to hear what you have to say about it.  
> Constructive criticism is always welcome, just like wishes, hopes, and nice comments :D


	27. Parental visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack celebrates Christmas and then the parents arrive. Some insights into the family dynamics are made.

Liam woke up to a cozy warmth. He was curled under the blankets so that the chilly winter air could not get him and he was also snuggled close to Theo, one arm wrapped around his mate’s back and his hand under Theo’s shirt and palm pressed against Theo’s skin. Liam was on his back, Theo on his side and he slowly woke up too and pressed a gentle kiss against Liam’s jaw. Liam smiled and his fingertips gently stroke over Theo’s back. 

“Merry Christmas, baby.” The nineteen-year-old mumbled and Theo chuckled softly.  
“Merry Christmas to you too, baby.” He replied and snuggled even closer to Liam while he draped one arm over his Alpha’s chest.   
Today was Christmas Morning and they soon would meet with the others in the living room to exchange gifts and celebrate but, for now, the Alpha couple enjoyed the time together and without anybody else. They loved their pack but they were mated and moments like this were necessary as well. 

They laid in comfortable silence, Theo just moving his head to rub his cheek against Liam’s and scenting him before he curled against Liam again and the Alpha could have sworn he heard his boyfriend purr. He still stroked Theo’s back with his fingertips and he loved the warmth of Theo’s skin. 

Suddenly Theo made a sound as if he was about to start speaking but he just closed his mouth again and stayed still in the end. Liam chuckled. “What?” He asked amusedly. Now he was curious what Theo had wanted to say.  
“Nothing.” The chimera mumbled. “I just...I wondered if I can give you your Christmas present right now instead of doing it in front of all the others. It’s not that I don’t want them around but maybe it’s better if it’s just the two of us.” Theo mused.   
Liam hummed and raised his hand to stroke through Theo’s hair. “Would you feel better when it’s just the two of us when you’re giving me your gift?”  
Theo sighed. “I don’t know, I don’t want to push anybody out but it’s my gift to you so I’m not sure.”    
“Baby, if you feel like your gift is too personal and you don’t want to share it with the others, it’s completely fine. They will understand and you know I won’t judge you. It’s your decision, really.” Liam said fondly and still stroked through Theo’s hair. 

Theo considered this and then he sat up and looked at Liam. “Then I’d like to give it to you now,”   
Liam smiled and also sat up. “Sure. Let’s exchange gifts now.”   
Theo smiled at him and kissed him softly before he got up from the bed and walked to his desk to open a drawer and pull it open. He pulled out a square shaped gift and walked back to the bed while Liam leaned over and opened his bedside drawer and pulled out his present for Theo. He respected his mate’s wish to keep it private. Theo was working on being more open about his feelings and all but he still had a way to go and especially when it came to things close to his heart, he was still struggling sometimes. Liam had no problem with helping his partner and support him be more open but when Theo asked, Liam was also willing to keep it between the two of them. 

“I actually wanted this present to go in a completely different direction because my initial idea was to use it to confess my feelings for you. But then we got together and I had to think of something else.” Theo began to explain and Liam chuckled. “Should I say sorry?” He asked with a laugh and Theo rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Of course not. I just wanted you to know that.” 

He paused. “Uhm, do you...do you mind starting?”   
“No problem.” Liam said with a soft smile. His gift was a wooden box with several envelopes inside. There were actually 62 envelopes inside, either in red, yellow, or blue, and all with something written on it. “You need to read the letter on top of the lid first.” He told Theo when he handed it over and the twenty-two-year-old gently moved the green wrapping paper with little Santa Clauses away. 

_“Dore, I know you are a good person and you’re working hard to show this every day. I admire your dedication, I admire your good heart, and I admired your character to even admit you still need to improve yourself. To me, you are perfect and I love you exactly for who you are but I will always support you in your quest to become an even better person than you already are. But I also know you’re struggling sometimes and find it hard to go on because it seems like everything is fruitless and you can never outrun the mistakes of your past. For those moments, I made you this gift. 62 letters to encourage you, for you to read whenever you need them. Or maybe even when you need a reminder that you are the love of my life and you always have a home in me. Or when you have something to celebrate, no matter if it’s a birthday or success in college or at work._

_Red is for a loving and romantic message so you never forget I love you forever._

_Yellow is for a silly and playful message to make you smile and to make the day a little bit lighter._

_Blue is for a random message, for whatever cause you might need it or want to read it._

_Merry Christmas, my beloved mate, love of my life. Your naughty little Alpha. Yours. - Lee_

Theo read out loud and then his fingers itched as if he wanted to open the letters right on the spot. But he refrained from doing so and rather raised his head to look at Liam. “Liam! This must have been a lot of work! Seriously, when did you do this?” 

“Ah, shush, don’t even start it. I got this idea and I really hoped you would enjoy this little present.” Liam worried his lower lip between his teeth. “Do you enjoy it?”  
“I’m not only enjoying it, I’m loving it. This is amazing, Liam. Holy shit! Thank you very much!” Theo laughed and pulled him into a very sweet kiss. Liam smiled into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Theo to pull him closer. The box slipped on the bed and Theo moved closer to Liam, one hand cupped Liam’s cheek and the other tangled in Liam’s hair while they kissed. Liam was so relieved and happy that Theo loved his present so much. He had poured his heart into those little letters and even though it had taken some time to write them (Liam had used his nicest handwriting) he never had doubted it would be worth in the end but Theo’s reaction was even better than he imagined. Because Liam saw the shimmer in Theo’s eyes and the happy smile. He looked through the envelopes and he seemed happy like a little kid when they finally parted again.

Then he took his present for Liam which was wrapped in red wrapping paper with reindeer decorating a Christmas tree or skiing (the paper made Liam chuckle) and with a green bow and held it out for Liam. Liam took it slowly but he was less gently when it came to unwrapping his present. He tore the paper away and didn’t care about any shreds. 

Theo’s gift was a sketchbook with a beautiful dark blue cover and a grey and white picture of Liam and Theo. Theo had taken the picture one day when Liam wrapped his arms around him from behind and hid his face in the crook of his mate’s neck. The chimera was smiling brightly and Liam had his face turned to some angle and peeked at the camera, also a fond smile on his face. It was one of Liam’s favorite pictures of them, they looked so happy and carefree in it. He now gasped at the beautiful book and then opened it. Right the inside of the cover was completely littered with pictures of them. There was one at their high school graduation with both in their red robes and their diplomas proudly on display, one from their first night in their apartment when they sent the picture to show Liam’s parents they were still alive where they stuck out their tongue at the camera, and others from various moments of their relationship. Some from their first vacation at the lake and then some of them kissing each other’s cheeks or really kissing each other, making silly faces, or some of Theo tickling Liam and Liam crying with laughter. It was a colorful bunch and Liam loved every single picture. He started flipping through the book and there were various things either drawn or glued to the pages. One page had an incredibly drawn garland of Hawaiian flowers in vibrant colors and in the bottom of the page was a sunset over the ocean and a beach. 

“This book is my promise to you. Liam, I love you with all my heart and I promise we will do a lot of great things, everything you want to do. We will go to Hawaii for example because I know you want to go there one day. And we will do so many other things during our life together. This book should give you the security that I really mean it and that you really are the love of my life and I can’t live without you anymore. Whatever you want to do, I will be by your side and we will make a lot of amazing memories together.” Theo said. Liam still flipped through the books and looked at the various pictures as well as the little things Theo had written on the sides. He finally raised his head and beamed at Theo.

“This is the most amazing present I ever got. Such a heartfelt present and you put so much thought into it.” He put the book carefully aside and then moved to Theo to pull him into a soft kiss. Theo pulled him on his lap but had misjudged his own position on the bed and so he lost his hold and fell backward with Liam on top of him. They were still on the bed and both laughed.

Liam looked down at Theo and nudged his nose. “Your present is awesome and I am so insanely happy to have such an amazing mate.” He smiled and kissed Theo’s chin and his lips. Theo chuckled happily and his hands ran over Liam’s back. 

“Only the best for my wonderful mate.” He whispered softly and gently sucked on Liam’s lip. The younger moaned and pressed closer if this was even possible. Who would have thought this would be his Christmas morning? Liam himself for sure didn’t at the beginning of the year. But here they were and he wouldn’t want to change it for anything. 

Several loud knocks on the doors interrupted them. “Wake up, wake up, it’s Christmas!” Nolan and Tim called out while they moved from room to room to wake the pack. Liam chuckled. “The pups are awake.” He said.  
Theo smirked. “Pups as in Betas or as in our real pups?” He inquired right when a few barks sounded up.   
Liam laughed. “They all are awake.” He said and kissed Theo one last time before he rolled off his boyfriend so Theo could get up too and walk out of the room with Liam. 

They joined their pack in the living room and when the Alpha couple entered, they were greeted happily. It seemed as if Liam and Theo had been the last ones to leave their room and join the fun.   
“There they are, holding hands as usual.” Ever teased and Liam snickered but shrugged his shoulder and didn’t let go of Theo’s hand. Sadie narrowed her eyes.   
“You two smell even happier and in love than usual. What did you do?”  
“What we did is so not your business but since you probably won’t stop until you got your answer: We already exchanged gifts, nosy blonde Beta.” Theo teased her.   
“I see. Sexy gifts?”  
“Sadie!” Liam groaned but he wasn’t really mad. He was used to the crazy antics of his pack.   
“Is this another talk about Liam’s dick wrapped with a bow?” Tim asked and Theo frowned. “Do I want to know when that was the topic of your conversation?”  
Liam grinned. “No. Don’t worry about that.” He kissed his mate’s cheek and settled on one of the couches. Maya and Nolan took over the duty to pull the presents out from under the tree and hand them out. If they all went to retrieve their gifts it would be way too chaotic so this was the best solution. 

“Byron, Lana, we want to start with you. We all, the core pack, brought something for you because you are amazing advisers and basically our grandparents. Thank you for everything.” Liam began and Maya handed Lana a big square present. Lana took it and gracefully unwrapped it. When it turned out to be a completely new set of small garden hoes and shovels as well as garden gloves in soft green with flowers on it Lana laughed happily. “My old ones were getting old and broke one by one. This is amazing, I can’t wait to christen them. Thank you so much.” The elderly woman said honestly and smiled at the pack. 

Byron got a smaller box and when he opened it, it revealed a silver watch with a dark brown leather bracelet. “You said your old watch got broken so we picked this out for you.” Theo said and Byron took the watch out of the box and inspected it closely. An engraving on the back of the watch said  _ **Thank for being our pack grandpa and our guide**  _in neatly italic letters and Byron smiled, “A truly beautiful gift. Thank you all very much.” He said after a while and when he looked up Liam could see in his eyes how touched he was by the gift. 

“If you don’t mind, I think we can use this to give you our gift.” Lana said and pointed at a big orange present. “It’s for all of you and we hope you can use it.” 

Nolan handed it over to Liam so the Alpha could unwrap the gift. It turned out to be a full set of cutlery as well as plates, cups, and glasses, all in white but with colorful borders either in blue, red, green, or yellow. It was very colorful and yet looked elegant. “One thing we learned is that a pack can never have too much cutlery and plates.” Lana joked and the pack laughed, But she was right and this was useful for all of them. Liam accepted it on behalf of his pack. “This is gorgeous. Thanks a lot.” He showed his gratitude and the rest of the pack joined in. Byron and Lana seemed very happy their present was that welcomed.

Nolan crawled under the tree to retrieve the last gifts and since he already had it in his hand, he handed Ever a present wrapped in red wrapping paper with white Christmas trees on it. She turned it in her hand while she tried to figure out what it was but then failed and simply ripped the gift wrapper away. “Oh wow!” She exclaimed when it revealed a book about several African spells and rituals from different shamans from different tribes, along with the essential herbs she needed to cast most spells. “This is amazing. Holy mother, I can’t wait to read all of this.” 

Liam smiled at her enthusiasm. Ever had been his Secret Santa and it had taken him some time to find something he found suitable enough for her. Then Shana had recommended this book and Liam had searched online for it and finally found it and ordered it online. Seeing her so happy about it was a great feeling. Theo looked over and gave him a knowing look before he squeezed Liam’s hand. Liam smiled at him and shrugged.

The next present was a dark grey with red and white snowflakes on it and was for Mike. He gently unwrapped it and pulled out a blue-grey wooden sweater. “It’s so soft.” He muttered and Sadie reached out to feel the item.   
“Wow, that’s some high-quality wool.” She praised. “This is self-made. Someone actually took their time to knit it for you, Mikey. Not me, don’t even look at me.”  
Liam glanced at Tim who tried his best not to blush too obviously. Liam only knew it was Tim because he and his Beta had collided one day when Tim came home and his bag with the wool fell to the floor. He had to say, he was impressed how great this looked. Tim was a very talented knitter. 

Maya handed a sturdy looking gift over to Theo. It was wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper with little silver stars on it and had Theo’s name in comic style letters written on the side. Theo took it and laughed at the  _Open this way_  instruction. He was careful because whatever was inside obviously seemed fragile. When he finally managed to tear the wrapper down and open the cardboard box he was able to pull out a mug with the Winter Soldier star on it and a little paper showing that the mug changed appearance once it turned hot and the picture turned to the Captain America logo. “Liam, look!” Theo called out and showed his mate the mug.   
“Looks amazing.”, Liam said with a chuckle. He remembered when Theo and he watched the movies for the first time and Theo took an immediate shining to Bucky and the friendship between him and Steve. Something Liam could totally get behind, okay? This was truly a perfect gift for the chimera and his eyes sparkled with happiness.   
The young Alpha looked around and tried to figure out who may have gotten Theo but he could not really pinpoint it. His guess was Ever but Maya was also possible. From the wrapping paper it could also be Sadie but hey, this was the fun of Secret Santa. 

Nolan squeaked when the next gift wrapped in complete silver wrapping paper and with a white bow was for him and he tore the paper away. His gift was a large N with lots of pictures from the pack glued to it. A truly incredibly collage and Liam was sure Nolan was about to jump to his feet, grab himself a hammer and a nail and pin it to his wall right this very minute. He wriggled a bit but then he stayed still. “Holy shit, this is exactly what my wall was missing! Thank you!” He called out to no one in particular. 

Next one was Sadie and she giggled happily at the purple wrapping paper with snowflakes on it. She opened it and then laughed loudly at the gift basket inside. Everything was more or less kept either in white or in her favorite color purple. “ _The Sadie Survival Kit because a day being the amazing being that you are can be exhausting. Hopefully, this helps.”_ She read the little tag out loud and looked through the things in the basket. There was a completely new notebook plus pencil for her to write down whatever came to mind; a bottle of shower gel with cinnamon scent; purple tape for her lacrosse stick; some bars of her favorite chocolate; a scented candle with caramel scent, new hair ties, and new sticky notes. It was a very fitting gift basket for her and Sadie was over the moon. 

“Next one’s Maya.” Nolan announced after he checked the tag on a red present with white dots on the paper. She took it from him and when she ripped away the paper, she held a leather-bound drawing pad with her initials in the corner in her hands including a new set of brushes. She gasped. This seemed like the perfect gift for her and her love of art. “I never got something so beautifully crafted. This one must have been expensive as hell.” She gently stroke over the cover, almost as if she was afraid she would break it if she put too much pressure on it. 

“Then there are only Tim, Isaac, and Liam.” Ever stated and Isaac perked up. “Me? Why me?”  
“Do you really think we would invite you and not have a gift for you?” Theo asked.   
“Yes. Because I have no gift for you.”  
“That’s okay, you don’t need to bring a gift in return for getting one. Relax.” Liam said and Nolan held out a plain green gift with a red and white bow. Isaac hesitantly took it and carefully opened it. “A new travel mug! How did you know my old one was broken? And seriously? A new laptop bag? Guys, are you insane?” He called out and held out the two items.   
“Nolan was the one who told us about the travel mug. And really, it’s not a big deal, Isaac.” Liam said and Nolan smiled shyly, Isaac beamed at all of them.   
“You all are insane but I really, really like you insane people.”  
“That’s good cause you grew on us and we will stay in your life for a few more years.”, Mike said with a laugh. Isaac faked a shocked look and then laughed too. “Good!”

“Tim, your present, open it!” Nolan said eagerly and all but shoved the present wrapped in golden wrapping paper into Tim’s hands. Tim curiously shook his present and then opened it. His present was the whole DVD collection of all Harry Potter movies and a Hufflepuff hoodie. As a big Harry Potter fan, these were the perfect gifts for him and he showed his joy by clapping. “This is freaking awesome! And I’m a Hufflepuff, yeah. Proud Badger here!”

Liam chuckled about his Beta’s obvious joys about their gifts. It was amazing to see, this Christmas was a real success already. He was so busy with observing them all that he almost missed Maya handing him his own present. Only when Theo gently nudged him Liam startled and took the present wrapped in green wrapper with silver sleighs and reindeer. But when he had torn the paper away, Liam threw his head back and laughed loudly at the black sweater with the print saying  _ **Playing Lacrosse is cheaper than therapy**_  on it. “It’s true.” He said after he calmed down after a while and held the sweater up so everybody could read it. Theo snorted. “This is your life motto.” He gently teased his boyfriend and Liam blew him a kiss.

Then he balled his paper up. “Who is in for a Christmas breakfast and Christmas movies?” He asked and the whole group raised their hands and then they all moved to the kitchen to get their breakfast ready and then moved back to the living room to watch a long list of Christmas movies. It was lazy, it was easy, and everybody loved it, that was the most important part. Who needed stress on Christmas?

******  
 Liam stood at the window in his room and looked outside. It was December 27th and the pack was awaiting the arrival of the parents. Byron and Lana had left yesterday since they had another invite from some friends and it had given the pack time to go out shopping for Koda and Aka and got them everything they needed for a healthy and happy puppy life. They now also owned two dog baskets which they currently slept in peacefully. The baskets were originally located in the hallway on the first floor but right now they were in the Alpha couple’s room to not disturb them when the guests arrived. Thankfully the weather had calmed down again so that the parents could arrive without a problem and would be here soon. 

Theo stepped behind Liam and rubbed his shoulders. “Excited to meet our Beta’s families?” He asked and wrapped both arms around Liam to cuddle with him.  
Liam hummed and wrapped his fingers around Theo’s arm while he leaned against his mate. “Yeah. It will be cool to see where they come from. It’s just a bit sad Mike has nobody.”  
“I’m sure he doesn’t mind that much. He’s fine with having us around.” Theo mumbled and kissed Liam’s cheek.   
Liam smiled softly. His mate calmed him and made him feel more relaxed. “I love you.” He said softly, right when the doorbell rang.

“I love you too. Now run, be a good host, I’ll make sure the Betas didn’t burn the food.” Theo said and Liam tilted his head to kiss Theo softly before they parted and went their separate ways. Theo walked into the kitchen and Liam walked downstairs to open the front door.

He opened the door to a couple with very friendly smiles on their faces and Liam didn’t even have to guess whose parents they were. The woman had the same white blonde hair as Sadie but Sadie got her striking green eyes from her dad. Liam smiled.    
“Mr. and Mrs. O’Mara, welcome. Please, step inside.”, He said and opened the door wide enough for them to enter. He reached out to shake their hands. “I am Liam, nice to meet you.”

Sadie appeared in the hallway. “Mom! Dad!” She exclaimed happily and then raced over to hug both of her parents at the same time. Both laughed and hugged their daughter right back. “Sadie! We missed you so much!” Her mother said while her father stroked her hair. Liam closed the door and let the three of them have their little moment. He knew how important it had been for Sadie to meet her parents now that she was in control of her wolf.

When the family finally parted, Sadie waved over to Liam. “Mom, Dad, this is Liam. He’s basically like a big brother to me and he was the one who brought me into lacrosse.”   
“The Alpha.” Sadie’s dad said and shook Liam’s hand.   
“Just Liam.” Liam said with a smile which her dad returned. “Okay, Liam, I am Callan. I heard so much about all of you but especially you, I was really curious.”  
He stepped aside and Sadie’s mother looked at Liam for one moment, then she pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for my daughter. She stopped being happy and thanks to you and your pack she is happy again. And you can call me Amelia.” She whispered into his ear and Liam smiled and briefly hugged her back. When she let him go Liam shrugged.  
“Your daughter is amazing.”

Callan nodded proudly and Liam knew Sadie was afraid her parents were not proud of her but from what he could see they were. But it was the same with his parents. He always worried he was disappointing them and yet it was far from the truth. Guess when you were struggling with some problems you put too much pressure on yourself and could not see what everybody else was seeing. 

Another sound of the doorbell and Liam opened the door while Sadie led her parents into the living room. Outside stood a woman with curly black hair and dark brown eyes. She had the biggest smile on her face when she spotted Liam. “Liam!” She greeted him like they known each other for years. “I’ve seen the pictures of the pack. Thank you for everything you’ve done for my niece!”  
“You’re Jemma.” Liam realized when she pulled him into a bone-crushing hug and it was quite surprising she had this strength given how skinny she looked. “Maya’s aunt.” 

“I am.” She laughed when Maya appeared. “Can you please stop crushing my Alpha?” She asked her aunt and Jemma let him go in favor of hugging her niece.   
“Look at you! In your pack house! I missed you so much!” Both women were happy to see each other again and started talking fastly and over each other in their excitement and yet both seemed to understand what the other was saying. Liam gently moved them out of the doorway and into the living room to make space for the other guests. 

He was about to close the door again when he spotted Nolan’s parents. He met them once or twice so he recognized Gideon and Emma Holloway immediately. But even if this would have been the first time he met them, Liam would have known who they were because Nolan bore a striking resemblance to his mom. Same pale eyes, same freckled skin, same soft smile.  

“Liam, honey.” Mrs. Holloway greeted him and hugged him after she made her way to the door. “Nolan! Your parents are here!” Liam called into the house and then hugged her back, received a kiss on each cheek. Mr. Holloway kept it far more simple by simply shaking Liam’s hand but when Nolan raced out of the kitchen and into the hallway, he smiled at his son and squeezed his shoulder. 

“I see you’re looking okay. Your mom will be relieved to see this too. She’s always worrying about you.” He teased his wife and she laughed but swatted his shoulder.   
“He’s my baby, of course I am worried about him. But look at this house! It’s so pretty.” She admired the entryway while she shrugged off her coat and the followed Nolan and her husband into the living room as well. 

Ever appeared next to Liam. “The food is almost ready, Theo’s doing the last few things. Gosh, everybody is already so happy to have their parents here.” She wiggled on the balls of her feet. “I can’t wait until my parents arrive!”

Next moment she squealed and ran outside to more or less storm towards the couple making their way towards the front door. “Oh my beautiful nature spirit, thank you so much for this invitation!” Her mother called out and hugged her daughter. Ever sobbed happily and clung to her mother and her father hugged her too and kissed the top of her head. It was sweet to see the love they had for their daughter. 

Mr. Sandoval walked over to Liam and extended his hand. “Liam, right? The Alpha of the pack. I’m Ever’s dad as you probably already guessed. You can call me Kayson.”  
“Great to meet you, Kayson. And yeah, right. I’m Liam.” He replied with a laugh and shook Kayson’t hand. The two Sandoval women finally made it to the door as well and Kayson put their luggage down before he took off his jacket. Ever’s mom beamed at Liam.  
“I am Kaia, I heard so much about you, Alpha.”   
“Liam. Just Liam. It’s also great to meet you. I see where Ever got her beautiful soul from.”   
It was true. Kayson was always smiling and her mom was just as much of a natural beauty as Ever was herself.   
“Such a gentleman.” Kaia praised and hugged her daughter who was already telling her parents about her classes while they walked into the living room to join the others. 

Liam was about to close the door again when he another car where obviously Tim’s parent exited. They both were dark blonde, the woman had some lighter streaks in her hair, and she tugged at her husband’s coat and scolded him for getting it wrinkly. She obviously wanted to look perfect. Liam smiled and Theo and Tim joined him at the door. Tim hurried outside to greet his parents.  
“Mom! Dad! I’m so happy you came here.”  
“Well, as happy I am to see you but that wouldn’t be necessary if you had come home at the beginning of winter break like I wanted you to. You would have been home before this horrible storm happened.” Tim’s mother said and Tim lowered his head in shame while Theo and Liam shared a look. That woman had a sharp tongue and it was now understandable while Tim said his mother was difficult to deal with. 

The family walked to the door and while Tim’s dad greeted them with a handshake and introduced himself as Jed, Marianna Phelps, Tim’s mother, eyed them suspiciously. “Are you the ones who convinced my son to move out of his dorm room?”  
“Mom, we talked about this! Living in this house is better for me and my grades didn’t suffer either.” Tim replied and she stiffly shook Theo’s and Liam’s hands.   
“Do your girlfriends live here too?”  
“Uhm, Liam and I are dating each other.”, Theo told her.   
“Really?” She gave them a look. “Well, I’m sure you two will find some nice girls one day when you stop being confused.” She said and then walked into the living room, husband and son trailing behind.   
Theo gaped and then was about to release a snarky comment into her direction when Liam wound his arm around his mate and slapped a hand over Theo’s mouth. “Be nice! For Tim’s sake!” He hissed while he pulled Theo back and Theo struggled against his hold. 

“Should I ask why you’re restraining Theo?”   
Liam spun around and dropped his hand from Theo’s mouth in the progress. His dad stood in the doorway, next to his mother, and smiled at Liam and Liam felt the gigantic smile spread across his face too. “Dad!”  
Dr. Lucas Geyer laughed while he hugged his stepson. Ilona did the same to Theo and greeted him like her second son. They were one family and they always worked on making Theo feel that too. Liam knew it worked when he felt the happiness and contentment coming from Theo through their mating bond.

Lucas pulled away from the hug after a while and put both hands on Liam’s shoulders. “Your mother told me everything. Liam, I couldn’t be more proud of you and you will be always my son. Human, werewolf, or whatever.”   
Liam smiled and nodded. “Thanks, dad.” He hugged him again and then they switched so Theo could hug Lucas and Liam could hug his mom. “Missed you.” He muttered into her ear and she squeezed him.  
“Missed you too, sweetie.”

******  
The whole group was silent and stared in shock at Marianna who was the only one talking. After the initial meeting and getting to know each other a bit, they had moved to the living room when dinner was ready and started to talk. Everything had been fine at first but Jemma’s question towards Tim what he was studying led to Marianna starting to talk about her other five children and that she really wished Tim would be more like them. She was going on for about twenty minutes already and no end seemed in sight. Liam gaped at her and he would have not believed it if he didn’t witness it himself. 

He felt sorry for Tim who sat next to his parents and looked on his plate without saying anything. His dad was also silent, obviously used to his wife’s antics, and only spoke up when it came to athletic achievements his kids got. Liam touched Theo’s shoulder. “Help me in the kitchen?” He asked and got up. Theo followed him without a second thought and once they stepped inside he exhaled loudly and just looked at Liam.  
“I know.” Liam just said and leaned against the counter. “I needed to get out there for a while. I mean, this woman has six kids, she’s aware of that, right? How can she make one of them feel so bad?”  
“I have no idea but I feel so bad for Tim right now. This woman is ignorant as hell.” 

“Hm.” Liam nodded right as Sadie stepped into the kitchen. She walked to the counter and put her hands on top of it before she gasped.  
“Tim’s parents are horrible. Poor Timmy, he doesn’t deserve this.”  
“Yeah but the only thing we can do right now is to make him feel better once the parents left again. Because I’m afraid this is only the beginning. I’m starting to see why Tim has such a difficult relationship with his siblings too.” Liam muttered.  
Sadie nodded. “I’m glad to have you and that Tim has you too. You are like the best big brothers all of us needed.”   
“Aw, Blondie, you can be so sweet.” Theo joked but actually pulled her in a short hug. She kissed his cheek and chuckled. “Idiot.”

“Come on, let’s go back and be there for Tim.”, Liam said. They could not hide forever, that would have been unfair. And when they walked back into the dining room they found that Liam’s dad had already cut off Marianne and started another topic. Liam gratefully smiled at his dad and Lucas winked at him. The other parents soon joined him and they started trading silly stories about their kids as well as stories to show how proud they were of their children. Especially Maya and Sadie glowed with pride and joy to hear this. They had fought so hard for their control and now it paid off and they could show their families how great they were at staying in control.

******  
When they all ate and were sated, they moved to the living room again to exchange gifts. It was a nice mood now, they all talked and even Marianna managed to strike a civil conversation with the others. Exchanging gifts went smoothly and Liam laughed at how happy his Betas were to receive gifts from their parents and hand their presents over. A particularly emotional moment was when Ilona handed Mike a neatly wrapped present. Mike hesitated. 

“What’s that?”

“We know your parents would not be here so we decided to get you something. I hope it fits your taste.” Ilona explained and Mike carefully unwrapped his present. When he received new headphones in electric blue, he was speechless. “Oh my god! Those are amazing! I don’t deserve this!”  
“Don’t even try to argue. They won’t listen to any of this and won’t take the gift back either. Talking from experience here.” Theo told him with a smile. “Just say thank you like a good boy and that’s it.”  
“But I have nothing for you.” Mike said sadly.  
“So what? I already told you, with Liam being the leader, you are my boys and girls too. Our boys and girls.” Ilona said.  
“It’s really no big deal.” Lucas added.  
Mike swallowed and fiddled with the headphones but then he got up and hugged them both. He was really touched by this and when he sat down again, Nolan rubbed his back. 

“Liam being the leader, that sounds like our children are in some sort of gang or cult.” Marianna said and laughed nervously.   
“Well, doesn’t every clique has this one person who takes over the leading role? I wouldn’t say it’s a cult.” Emma Holloway said. “Also we should have enough faith in our sons and daughters to trust them not to join a cult or gang.”  
“I’m just saying how it sounded and you never know with group pressure or what happens when a pretty girl appears.” She gave Liam and Sadie a disdainful look. Amelia raised both eyebrows and pointed at Ilona. “Did you just come for my daughter and her son?”  
Marianna stayed tight-lipped at this and Amelia shook her head. “My daughter does a lot of things but she never pressures anybody into anything. Got it?”  
Ilona joined her in defending their children. “Neither does my son. Far from it.”

“They didn’t pressure me or seduced me or whatever. They were, in fact, the first real friends I ever had.” Tim suddenly spoke up. All eyes turned to him and he raised his head to glare at his mother. “Mom, I love you, but you are just so ignorant. Yes, I’m not like Chelsea or Brandon or the others but I am my own person. Yes, I am weird but that’s okay! They all made me feel included and I got my best friend with Mike. He’s the total opposite of me but he makes me feel at ease. I can be myself around them and don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not. I don’t have to compete for attention! I am sorry your world is so small, you are not able to understand this, but I won’t sit here and let you insult my friends. They are my family and they have been a better support than any of you ever were.” 

His parents stared at him and Tim exhaled before he got up and walked outside in the garden; he obviously needed a minute to calm down. His mother opened and closed her mouth a few times, then she pressed her lips together into a thin line. “We should go.” She told her husband and got up to walk into the entryway and put on her coat. They had booked a hotel in the city anyway and now Jed trailed after her and followed her outside after he wished everybody a good night. The rest of the room was left speechless. 

“Uhm, I’m still new to this whole feelings stuff. Should I go after him?” Mike asked and pointed at the garden.   
“Let him calm down for a few minutes. we can check on him in a few.” Liam said and Mike nodded. 

Jemma cleared her throat. “So, uhm, this is me pretending this scene didn’t happen even though I’m internally celebrating Tim for standing up for his believes, but can we lighten this mood again? Are there still presents that need to be opened?”

Her attempt to dissolve the tension worked. “Liam needs to open his present!” Ilona exclaimed and handed the gift over to Liam. He took and unwrapped it and it revealed a longish piece of white-painted wood on a cord to hang on a wall. The piece of wood itself served as a photo frame and had two pictures glued to it. One of a younger kid Liam on a little bike with a man standing next to him and both smiling into the camera and the other with an older Liam in his teenage years with his arms wrapped around the same man from the first picture who also was older than in the first photo. They both smiled brightly as well in the second pic and Liam gulped.

“Oh my god! This was when he taught me how to ride a bike and this was shortly before he died.” He realized and his voice cracked at the end. Tears were in his eyes and his mom smiled. “We found the pictures and thought you would like to have them.”  
“Is this your grandfather?” Ever asked after she took a look at the pictures. Liam nodded and stroke across it.   
“Wow, you look a lot like him.” Sadie realized. Liam smiled and Theo pulled him closer. “You miss him very much, hm?”  
“Yeah.”, Liam confessed. “He was a great man.”    
“Just like his grandson.”, Theo said and kissed Liam’s cheek softly before he stroked away the tears. 

******  
“You don’t have a problem when I hang the frame here, right?” Liam asked later on when everybody had retreated into their rooms and he and his mate were already in their pajamas. 

Theo shook his head. “Of course not. I know how important your grandpa was to you. And the pictures are great. Little Liam was really cute.” 

Liam blushed softly. “Thank you.” He said while he carefully put the frame carefully down next to the bed. He would hang it up tomorrow.

Theo just smiled at him before he returned his attention to Aka and Koda currently attacking his fingers in a playful fight. The pups were still too thin but they were slowly getting better and with all the love they received from the pack, they were slowly losing their initial fear and got more brave and playful. But they shared the closest bond to the Alpha couple where Aka showed a preference for Theo and Koda for Liam. The parents had been amazed by the furry little pack mates and praised Liam and Theo for saving them. Now the dogs were back at their baskets in the Alpha couple’s room and now slowly curled up after deciding they had played long enough. Even though each had a basket himself, they mostly curled together in one basket and slept close together. Liam loved to watch this, it was insanely cute. 

Theo now got up and washed his hands before he joined Liam in bed and pulled him into his arms. Liam smiled and laced his fingers together with Theo’s. “When my parents divorced, my grandpa stepped in and acted like a dad. He did it since I was born anyway and my father hated it. He said it made me weak when gramps did so much with me and played all those silly games.” He inhaled softly. “After my parents divorced, Gramps took me out for a day and we just drove around at first but then found a cinema where The Lion King was playing. It was our favorite movie and Mufasa always reminded me of grandpa. He was just as gentle and just as wise. So we spent the day watching the movie and it was the first time I could laugh and be a normal little boy in a long time. I could forget what my father did to us.”

Theo tightened his hold on Liam and whined lowly. “I am so sorry you had to make those horrible experiences. You didn’t deserve it, neither did your mom.”  
Liam pressed closer to Theo and played with his mate’s shirt. Talking about this was hard but Theo’s hold made him feel safe. “We have a better life now.” He simply said and Theo just pulled him as close as possible and kissed his forehead.  
“You are safe and happy now. Nobody gets you as long as I’m around.”  
“I know and the same applies to you. You’re safe too.” Liam muttered and closed his eyes, concentrated on just inhaling Theo’s scent.”I love you.” He muttered.

“I love you too.” Theo pulled the blanket over them and shielded them from the world which added to feeling safe. This was their own little bubble and Liam relaxed against his boyfriend, eyes slowly dropped. Not long and he was fast asleep.  

******  
Liam was outside in the garden the next morning and practiced goal shots in the garden. He had always been an early bird but since he became an Alpha this had only increased and it was not unusual for Liam to be up before anybody else. He had taken the pups out and now the two were playing with each other on the porch. Liam had spotted Ever and Maya already awake and in the kitchen after a while and suddenly his dad stepped out into the garden.  

He looked at Liam and then took a deep breath. “So, werewolf, huh?”  
Yesterday there had been so much going on, the two had no time to actually talk about the reveal. Sure they had some phone calls but that just didn’t do the real talk justice.   
Liam nodded. “Werewolf, yeah.”  
“I am honest, when your mother told me about all this I wanted to check her in for a brain scan.” Lucas confessed and Liam laughed.  
“It’s pretty unbelievable, I know. But I was sick and tired of hiding. I wanted to be honest, even more since we had two newly bitten Betas and I wanted to be an example. I am an Alpha and I have to lead my Betas after all.”  
Lucas watched his stepson. “Your mom is right, you became very mature. I am proud of you. And meeting your pack is a real honor to me. To see them all looking up at you is just great to see as a parent. I couldn’t really imagine what Ilona told me but now that I’ve seen it, it makes sense.”  
“My pack’s awesome.” Liam said in a fond way. 

Maya stepped into the garden, followed by Jed. “Uhm, Liam?” She said and pointed at Tim’s father. Liam raised an eyebrow. Jed seemed nervous.   
“Do you know if Tim’s already awake?”  
“Haven’t seen him this morning.” Liam replied.   
“Oh.” Jed nodded softly. 

But suddenly Tim appeared in the garden and rubbed his eyes. “Dad? What are you doing here?”  
“I wanted to talk to you. See I talked to your mom last night and she’s angry at you. You know she is quite bossy. Anyway, I understood what you tried to say yesterday and, Timmy, I’m sorry. You’re our son, we are proud of you.”  
“Really?” Tim asked sarcastically and Liam shared a look with his dad before they went ton to retreat inside again but Tim stopped his Alpha. “Stay? Please.” He pleaded and Liam looked at him, caught the sour scent of nervousness rolling off Tim, and finally nodded.Lucas stayed behind too but said nothing and let them do the talking.

“Look, Timmy, your mom and I love you but your siblings are just so much more dominant and they always demand attention. This is not fair to you, but you never said anything and it was kind of easy to overlook you a little bit. This is no excuse, of course not, but you know me, Timmy. I’m good with sports, I love sports, and that’s what I can talk about with your sisters and brothers. You hate sports and I have no idea what it is you do all day because I don’t understand half of it. This is not your fault, I could have tried a little bit harder and I realized this last night.” He sighed. “I know you’re angry at your mom and probably me too but I want to try, Timmy. Talk more with you. Not about sports, about other things. Do you think we can try this?” He asked his son and Tim shrugged a tad helpless. He had expected everything but not this.

Lucas stepped forward. “Don’t mind me but may I offer a solution? Maybe you both can find something entirely new both of you will like. A new hobby for you talk about and do together. There is so much a father and a son can do. Sports is one thing but you have movies or books or comics and so many other things.” He went for a compromise.   
Liam nodded. “I’m sure you can find something but starting with talking also seems like a good idea. Maybe start with a weekly call? Tell each other about the things happening in your life.” He suggested. Tim’s dad wanted a better relationship with his son and that was the first step.

Tim looked gratefully at Liam and Lucas and then smiled tentatively at his father. “I’d like to talk with you more. I’m not like my siblings and I will never be but I’m not a bad guy either.”  
“I’m aware of that, Timmy. Never thought of you as bad. You know me. I’m not the most sensible guy around and I’d rather talk about football than read a book but maybe we can find something we both enjoy. That would be nice.”  
Tim nodded slowly. “It would be nice.” He confirmed. “Thank you for searching me out, dad. Can I...hug you?”  
“Sure, son.” Jed smiled and Tim walked over to hug his dad and get hugged in return. 

“Your mom wants to drive back home again and since you know we spend New Year’s Eve and the days before with the Stevenson’s it’s probably for the best.”  
“I know. Tell her to drive safe, okay?”  
“You know your mom.  An angry woman behind a wheel won’t get stopped by anything. But I will tell her still.” He promised his son.   
“Good. I guess I will call you next week then?” Tim rubbed his neck, kind of awkward. Father and son had a long way to go but Jed nodded and Tim smiled before he bid goodbye to his dad and walked back into the house. Lucas followed.  
Liam nodded over to Jed. “Come on, I bring you to the door.”

“Liam?” Jed began when they arrived there. “I don’t know how your whole group dynamic works but Tim looks up to you like a big brother. Thank you for everything you’re doing for my son.”  
Liam smiled softly. “Your son is a great person. I am truly happy to count him to my family. I know he loves you and your wife and he also loves his siblings but Tim is not your usual guy. He’s weird but that’s what makes him so unique and amazing. We’re all weird here, that’s a perfect match. And he has a heart of gold. You can be truly proud of him, even though he doesn’t win trophies on the field.”  
“I know that and I feel sorry for making him feel like we’re not proud of him. But still, thank you for being there for him. All of you.”  
Liam nodded. “You’re welcome. Have a good trip home, okay?”  
“Will have. Bye, Liam.”  
“Bye.” Liam waved when Jed walked out off the house and towards the street and then he closed the door. He turned around and there stood Theo, arms crossed in front of his chest, and smiled.

“Look at the Alpha caring about his pack and all.” He said good-naturedly.  
Liam chuckled when he walked over to him. “Shut up.” He muttered, grabbed the front of his mate’s shirt and pulled him in to press their lips together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my little vacation and I came back with a new chapter in tow. How do you like it? We got a little background on everyone's parents and I'm proud of Tim :) What do you say about Thiam's gifts for each other? Or the presents in general? How do you like the parents?


	28. Something's going on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The parents left again and the pack is almost ready to celebrate the new year. But before this can happen they have to get some driving lessons. And one question rises: What the hell is going on with Liam?

Liam opened the front door and slipped inside. The house was relatively quiet, safe from the yipping of the puppies playing in the living room. They heard the front door and now bounced over to greet Liam with wagging tails and happy yips. Liam smiled and knelt down to pet them. “Aw, did you miss me?”

“I’m sure for their time reckoning you were gone forever. They counted.” Theo said. He had played with the dogs in the living room and now followed them into the entryway to greet Liam as well.   
“It wasn’t that long. But I missed all of you too.” Liam finally got up again to take off his jacket and his scarf. “It’s freaking cold outside again. No snow right now but it is freezing.”

“Where have you been? I’m used to waking up and you are gone because you’re such an early bird but I’m still curious.” Theo asked and Liam stepped closer to kiss his boyfriend gently and rub their noses together. Theo scrunched his nose. “Your nose is cold.” He complained. But then his nostrils flared and Liam knew his mate had caught a whiff of the fire and the scent of the disinfection lotion. “Another tattoo?”  
Liam nodded and bit his lip slowly. “Think this is getting out of hand?” He asked uncertainly. Theo didn’t seem too thrilled about it.  
But suddenly two strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him flush against the other. “It’s your body and I love your tattoos. What did you get?”

Liam smiled tentatively and leaned his forehead against Theo’s. “I dreamed of grandpa last night and when I woke up I had the vision of what I wanted to get. It’s nothing big.” He withdrew and pulled at the collar of his shirt to show his collarbone. In neatly curved letters **_He lives in you_** was inked on his collarbone, on the opposite of his mating bite. The tattoo was all black and grey and beautifully shadowed and Liam liked how it stuck out from his skin without being too prominent. 

Theo smiled. “A Lion King quote for you grandpa?” He guessed and gently reached out to run his fingers over the skin around the tattoo. Liam shuddered. ”Still a bit sensitive.” He explained and responded. “Yeah. To pay tribute to him. I want to remember him in the best way possible.”  
“I like the tattoo. It looks good on you.” Theo said and gently kissed Liam. Liam melted into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Theo to respond to the kiss. Theo’s arms wrapped around Liam and he pulled him closer, hands disappeared under Liam’s shirt and warm palms pressed against Liam’s skin.

They leaned back against the wall, bodies never really parted and lost in their kisses. Liam tilted his head to slot their lips together even better and his fingers played with the hair in Theo’s neck. Theo smiled into the kisses and then opened his lips for his tongue to dart out and tangle with Liam’s. His blunt nails gently scraped over Liam’s skin and Liam moaned lowly. 

“Get a room you two! Think about the children!” Nolan suddenly said and Liam yelped in surprise and broke away from the kiss. Theo chuckled lowly and kept his arms possessively wrapped around Liam. “The children?” He inquired. “Let them see what love looks like.”  
“Aw, that was sweet.” Liam said with a soft laugh and pecked Theo’s lips again. “You’re such a sweetheart.”  
“Don’t say this too loudly, I have a reputation to uphold.” Theo joked and Liam laughed.  
He then looked over his shoulder at Nolan. “Is there a reason you disturbed us?”  
“Not really. I’m bored and wanted to annoy you. And Ever’s probably about to burn down the kitchen with her potion.”  
“Am not!”, sounded from the kitchen and in the next moment Ever coughed after a puff sound could be heard. Liam saw his kitchen completely destroyed in front of his inner eye and twitched. 

It was three days shy of New Year’s Eve and the pack was alone again. The parents mostly had either to return back to work in Lucas’ and Callan’s case or they had other invitations and had to leave again. But having them over for some days had been nice and gave each pack member the chance for an insight into the family dynamics. Tim had not talked to his mother ever since and when asked about it, he just shrugged. “She’s mad at me and waits for my apology but I don’t think I did anything wrong, so...” He simply said. Liam was proud of him. 

“Ever!” Liam called out and Theo let him go for the Alpha to race into the kitchen. Said kitchen was still standing but one of the counters was covered in some green powder.   
“Sorry.” She said and ducked her head. “It overturned. I’ll clean it up. It’s not dangerous.”  
“That’s something I guess.”, Liam muttered and handed her a rag to clean the mess up.  She took it and dutifully cleaned everything. “I'll try to be more careful. I hate it to waste any ingredients.” She complained about her own clumsiness and Liam chuckled.   
“As long as you don’t burn down the house, I am fine with whatever you’re doing.”

Liam left her to her potions and left to walk into his room and grab the Alpha’s journal. He settled on the bed, propped the pillow in the perfect position to lay comfortable and still be able to read and opened the journal. He finally came across Mckenna Sholes and it was amazing to read about her experiences. She truly had a magical connection with her wolf but she also mentioned that one real wolf that seemed to follow and watch over her. It was amazing to read about such a wild animal having such a strong connection to a person. It made Liam want to have his own wolf guardian, even though he knew that was silly. He had Aka and Koda, that was just as great.

He laid there and read and it was all so comfortable, Liam snuggled closer into the pillows. Surrounded by his scent combined with Theo’s and really cozy, Liam slowly got sleepy and not long ago his eyes fell shut and he was asleep.

_Liam found himself on a meadow surrounded by trees. He expected to see his wolf and looked around but the animal was nowhere to be seen. Liam frowned softly but then decided to follow his gut feeling and just walk forward. The sun was dancing through the trees and made the morning dew on the grass glisten. A truly wonderful scene._

_Liam walked for a few moments and then came to a small clearing. He stopped when he suddenly faced with an older woman. She looked nice and watched him with attentive eyes. Her long hair was falling over her shoulders in soft waves but Liam could not really make out the color and she was clothed in a flowing dress, Liam assumed it was white._

_“Uhm, hello?” Liam tentatively started a conversation. Who was this woman? He was used to his wolf or Theo’s wolf to appear in dreams like this but not other people, especially not strangers. He had never seen this woman before and yet there was something familiar about her. As if he knew her but had forgotten how he knew her.  
_

_He got some of his answers when a beautiful light grey wolf stepped from the woods surrounding them. The wolf watched him before it looked over to the woman and lightly bowed its head. And then Liam knew who she was._  
_“You’re Mckenna.”  
_ _Mckenna looked at him and smiled while she nodded softly. Liam took a slow step forward. “I read about you. You lived a truly admirable life and it’s great to see a person having such a close bond with an animal.” He pointed at the grey wolf. Mckenna still said nothing but watched him intensely._

_The two Alphas just looked at each other for a while and then wind picked up. A breeze flew over the clearing, swirled up some leaves that danced over the clearing and finally swirled around Mckenna. Liam gasped and his eyes widened when right above the former Alpha the face of a wolf formed, almost as if a spirit was watching over her. The spirit wolf blinked at Liam but looked no way hostile._

_“You could shift too. This is your inner wolf, right?” Liam asked, even though he was pretty sure that was exactly what it was. And Mckenna nodded again and her wolf bowed her head in an appreciative gesture. Liam did the same. The current Alpha showed respect to the former Alpha as much as the former Alpha paid respect to him. They were connected by their pack and he learned from her and from all the other Alphas._

_And then Mckenna raised her arm and pointed in a direction next to Liam. He followed her line of sight and there was his inner wolf again. He watched the scene curiously and Liam smiled. “Hey, you.”_

_It was like meeting an old friend and Liam realized that was exactly how he thought about his wolf. His wolf had turned from being something that had been tossed onto him without his consent over something he needed to control to somebody he worked with and now to a friend. Somebody who was by his side no matter what and somebody he could rely on. Liam had seen so many weres that could fully shift and had almost perfect control over their inner animals and he always had silently questioned how they managed this. Maybe because they had learned this too: To see the animals as a friend._

_The wolf looked at him and slowly took a step forward to him. Liam cast a look at Mckenna and her inner wolf. Both nodded in silent encouragement and Liam looked back at his wolf. It itched him to be closer and he followed his desire, slowly stepped closer to the animal. The wolf stayed still and when Liam was close enough he actually stretched his head in Liam’s direction. The young Alpha slowly reached out. He had always just barely brushed the fur but this time he could really touch. And when he finally touched his inner wolf Liam felt an immense rush of power surge through him and he gasped._

Liam’s eyes flew open and he shot into a sitting position with a gasp. He heard a startled squeak next to him and his head snapped around. Tim and Ever stood next to the bed and Tim seemed as if he had touched Liam prior and jumped back when his Alpha reacted so suddenly.  
“We didn’t want to wake you, sorry!” Ever said and she looked at Liam as if he had grown a second head. Eyes narrowed slightly and head slowly moved while she never stopped watching him. “Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, why?” Liam asked.  
“Because your eyes glow.”

They did? Liam looked into the mirror and right. Red eyes flashed. He pressed his eyes shut. “Just a very intense dream.” He muttered and when he opened his eyes again they were back at their usual blue. “Anyway, what can I do for you, guys?”  
Ever and Tim shared a look. “We noticed your car which your parents drove here is a stick car.”  
“Right.” Liam said and leaned back on his palms to watch his two Betas.  
“Uhm, we are the only ones who can’t drive stick and we thought...”  
“You thought I could teach you?” Liam asked amusedly. Both nodded and he shrugged. “Sure. Right now?” Again they nodded and Liam got up from the bed. “Okay. This will be fun. I never gave somebody a driving lesson before but there is a time for everything.”  
“Yay. Thank you, Liam.”

They walked downstairs and slipped in their shoes. “I have no problem with driving in my jacket but I don’t know about you guys. It’s up to you.” He said and shrugged the jacket on.   
“That’s my jacket!” Theo called out from where he had walked out of his library and was on his way to the living room. Liam grinned at him. “And for now it’s mine.” He replied cheerfully and then opened the front door. Ever and Tim followed him outside. “I’ll get the car on the street and then we can start, okay?” Liam told them and both waited patiently while he got in his car parked in the driveway and pulled out without much of a problem. He had to be honest and admit he had missed driving his car. It broke down quite often before Theo took it upon himself to fix it but then they had moved to Seattle and the car stayed back. To sit behind the wheel in his own car was something else and he loved it. 

When Ever and Tim got into the car, Ever took place in the backseat and Tim took over the driver's seat from Liam. The ignition was turned off because Liam wanted to explain the two the basics first. “It’s important to move slowly and not too rashly. If you jump off the clutch, the car will buck and either make a jump forward or backward and that could cause some serious damage to other cars. It’s also not good for the mechanic.” Liam started to explain and pointed at the gear shift. Tim and Ever nodded. “Those are the gears. First gear is for starting the car and when you’re standing on a stop light you can either shift into back into first gear or run at idle until its time to start again. I’ll show you later on.” Liam showed Tim how to move the gear stick in the various gears. “When you drive and you pass a certain speed you will hear the car roaring and then it’s time to shift up a gear. If you do that, you move your feet from the gas pedal to the clutch.”

Liam explained everything patiently and even repeated when asked so. He corrected the way Tim clutched the wheel. “Everything will be fine, okay? You won’t cause an accident, you can drive. Now you just need to get used to driving stick.”  
And when they finally started driving, it took some bucking from the car until Tim found a way to handle it. He was still hella insecure but Liam coached him through it and praised him when he managed to drive a little bit without bucking from the car or stalling the engine. 

When they finally switched, Ever looked intimidated. “This looks stressful.” She mumbled.   
“Hey now, it’s fine.”, Liam said and put a hand on her arm. “Just take some deep breaths and relax a little bit, okay? Like I said, you can drive, you now need to learn how to move your feet and shift gears, that’s all. It’s easy, once you get the hang of it.”  
“I think I’m going to puke.” Ever mumbled and Tim held out a little bag. She blinked. “Do you always carry those around?”  
“No but you said it earlier too and I wanted to be prepared.”  
Liam scrunched his nose. “Can we stop talking about that? You are not going to vomit in my car! You will be fine. Now, start the engine slowly.”

It took her some tries to get the car running and not still the engine immediately because she stepped from the clutch. Once the car finally rolled, Liam could smell the stress radiating from her. “Relax, Ever, it’s okay.”  
Ever just muttered something under her breath. She was nervous and kept mixing up clutch and gas pedal. Liam tried to help as good as he could and was even more patient than with Tim. She was trying her best, he would not pressure her any further. 

They drove or rather bucked for a while until Liam looked at the two Betas. “Want to drive back? I know driving lessons can be exhausting.”  
Both made sounds of agreements and Liam gently navigated Ever back to the house. “Okay, now back into the driveway and we’re sat. The truck’s in the garage, you have all the space you need.” He encouraged her. The driveway of the house actually led to the garden so that if they had a third car it would also fit into the driveway without any problems. Liam had expected her to park in the middle of it but Ever kept driving to the end of the driveway.  
“Ever, you should stop now. The car is parked well.” He said softly. “Slow down and slowly shift gears.”

She pressed her lips together before she nodded and obviously tried to follow his instructions. But then she got confused again with clutch and gas pedal and overwhelmed herself with shifting gears. Her foot landed on the gas pedal, the car roared and she squeaked and raised her foot. The car bucked forward and crashed right through the garden fence and into their garden where it finally stopped. 

Liam gaped at the destroyed fence in front or rather underneath the car and the rest of the pack stormed into the garden, everyone with shocked looks on their faces. Ever next to him whimpered and jammed her face against the wheel. The horn sounded up and she screamed and jumped and the car did another buck. “Ever, turn down the engine!” Tim called out and she did and then slumped in her seat. 

“Holy shit, are you okay?” Theo and the others had run over and now the chimera opened the passenger door to put a hand on Liam’s leg. “Are you hurt?”  
Liam slowly blinked back into reality and turned his head to look at his mate. He nodded dumbly, shook his head, and then unbuckled to slip out and examine the damage.  The paint was scratched, the right headlight was broken, there were some dents on the metal but nothing looked too destroyed. “It’s manageable.” He muttered.  
“Liam, I am so so sorry. I got totally confused and I’m so sorry! I didn’t want this. Sorry!” Ever almost fell out of the car in her haste to get to Liam and apologize over and over again.  
“It’s okay, Ever, I know you didn’t mean to do it. I’m more concerned if you and Tim are okay? More about you. Tim and I heal faster, we don’t get affected by whiplash but you?”  
“I’m fine.” Tim said and Ever nodded. “Me too but I’m sorry, Liam. I understand if you’re mad at me now.”

Liam shook his head. “I’m not mad at you. Just go back in the house, all of you, and I’ll drive the car into the driveway and away from the fence.” He sighed and walked around to get into his car. The pack hesitated but then followed his order and slowly walked back to the house. Only Theo stayed behind to survey the damage on the fence once Liam moved the car back. The nineteen-year-old did just that and closed his eyes for a moment when the broken fence crunched underneath the tires of his car. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes again and maneuvered the car further into the driveway. Liam finally stopped and turned off the ignition. 

He sat behind the wheel of his car and just stared into thin air until Theo appeared next to the car and opened the door. “That fence is history as well as the bushed right behind it. But with a bit of work, we can build a new fence and plant something new once spring rolls around.”  
“Hm.” Liam said.  
“If you want to scream, I’m not gonna judge you.”  
“I don’t want to scream. It’s just that those things don’t happen in real life. They happen in comedy movies or tv series but not in real life! And now our fence is broken and my car is scratched and I really feel like life is pulling a prank on me right now.” He crossed his arms on the steering wheel, slammed his forehead against his arms and groaned.  
“Lee, it’s okay to be mad, you know. Not at Ever, it was an accident, but mad at the thing in general. I sometimes feel like you try to be so fair since becoming an Alpha, you forget to be fair to yourself too. It is okay to be mad when things go wrong, it’s okay to be disappointed and complain. That doesn’t mean you have to yell and lash out but ranting every once in a while and voice your disgruntlement is okay.”  
Liam raised his head and looked at Theo. “Yeah?”  
“Yeah.” The chimera said with a soft smile. “It will help you feel better.”  
“Liam smiled weakly. “Probably helps. Close the door.”   
Theo slammed the door shut and Liam took a deep breath before he screamed on top of his lungs. Theo next to the car pressed his hands over his ears and only when Liam was done and slipped out of the car, he lowered his hands again. 

“That was loud, even with the closed door. And your eyes are glowing.”  
Liam stopped and pressed his eyes shut. Next moment he felt strong arms embracing him in a hug and he let his forehead fall against Theo’s shoulder. “This pack is so chaotic.” He mumbled.   
“Yeah. Most of the times it’s fine but if there are times where this gets too much, that’s okay too. We’re all humans in this regards.”  
Liam clung to his mate and let Theo’s words soothe him. “Thanks.” he muttered after a while and raised his head to look at Theo. Theo smiled and kissed him. “Always, puppy.”

They stepped into the house again, took off shoes and jackets. and walked into the kitchen and Ever started to apologize once more. Liam slumped in a chair and just raised his hand. “Stop it. It was an accident, I’m not mad at you. As long as you are okay, I’m fine.”  
“I am okay, no injuries.”  
“Okay, if you start to feel dizzy or your head or neck start hurting, you tell us. Got it?”  
“Sure.” She nodded.  
Liam smiled weakly and dismissed his Betas. “You okay?” Theo asked and knelt next to Liam’s chair.   
“Yeah, I’m just so tired all of sudden.”  
“The adrenaline leaves your body, that is normal. Maybe you should take a nap. You will feel better then.”

Liam nodded and pecked Theo’s lips before he got up and dragged himself into the bedroom. His limbs felt like they were made of steel, they were that heavy, and he all but collapsed on the bed. He fiddled and wriggled until he finally managed to pull his shoes off and could pull the blanket over him and then closed his eyes. But despite him being that tired, he could not fall asleep. 

Liam twisted and turned from one side to the other, on his back, on his stomach, nothing felt right to him. It was something was missing and his wolf whined inside his chest until Liam finally pushed the blanket back and got up again. Maybe because he was still in jeans and hoodie, Liam didn’t know, and he changed in sweatpants and a shirt but even then the restlessness didn’t go away. His wolf was pulling at his insides, closer than Liam ever felt it before, and Liam decided to let him lead. 

He aimlessly wandered out of the room and downstairs. His feet led him to the living room where his Betas were watching a movie and smiled at their Alpha. Liam unceremonially dropped on top of his mate who lounged on the couch and Theo immediately wrapped his arms around Liam. “Already awake again?” He whispered and Liam shook his head.

“Missed you too much to sleep.” He mumbled and snuggled closer to Theo. He looked at the TV but his attention was more on the way his wolf was satisfied with being close to his mate again. That’s what had been missing, the warm body and Theo’s scent. 

******  
When Liam woke up again, he was in Theo’s and his bed and it was five o’clock on the next morning. Theo was next to him, one arm around Liam and laying on his back but his face was turned away from Liam as he slept peacefully. Liam tried to lay still but had he been so tired yesterday, he was now full of bursting with energy. Probably because he slept for twelve fucking hours. 

He slowly untangled himself from Theo and slipped out of bed. The chimera grumbled in his sleep and turned in his side, facing away from Liam. Liam chuckled when he put on running gear. Before he left the room, he walked to the bed and kissed Theo’s forehead. “I love you.” He muttered and then tiptoed out of the room.

The pups were still asleep as well and the house was still aside from the peaceful breathing. Liam stood in the hallway and just listened to the peaceful sounds, then he slowly made his way downstairs and slipped out of the house to go for a run. And because he had that much energy, he went for a long run and only came back home two hours later.

When he returned he heard the pack chatting in the kitchen and took the other stairs from the entryway to walk into his room and take a shower. He was running hot, had been the whole morning, and even though his shower was more of the colder site it didn't really cool him down. So when Liam stepped out of the shower and dressed, he decided to go for the black jeans and the white muscle shirt he had tried on in New York. It was still cold outside but that way he didn’t feel like overheating which was strange enough but for now Liam rolled with it.

Once fully dressed, he made his way downstairs and now used the stairs leading directly into the kitchen. Instead of walking, Liam did what he wanted to do since day one and simply slid down the banister. He stumbled into the kitchen and smiled brightly. “Good Morning, guys!”

Everybody stared at him like he lost his freaking mind. “What’s gotten into you today?” Sadie asked.  
“I’m just in a good mood.”  
“Yeah, and obviously mixed up the seasons. What are you wearing? It’s freezing and you’re wearing a tank top.” Nolan commented.   
“I got this in New York or rather Theo got it for me. I’m feeling hot today so this is perfect because it saves me from overheating.” Liam cheerfully explained and looked at his mate who sat at the counter and narrowed his eyes at Liam’s outfit. He bounced over and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend from behind to kiss Theo’s cheek.

“You’re really running hot. Are you feeling okay?”  
“I feel fantastic. Energetic and amazing!” Liam said and wandered to the counter to grab a bowl and then mix himself some muesli. “I’m an Alpha, I probably run hotter sometimes.” He shrugged and started peeling an apple.   
“Uh uh. If you say so.” Maya said with a doubtful look on her face. “But this has nothing to do with the crash yesterday, right?”  
“Of course not. I am fine.” Liam waved the concerns off and continued creating his breakfast before he jumped on the counter and tasted the first spoon of his food. His pack still gave him funny looks and his shoulders sagged.

“Don’t look at me like that! I am fine. I slept for twelve hours, no wonder I am full of energy. That’s more than I sleep in one night.”  
“You were out like a light a few minutes after you joined us in the living room. Curled up with Theo and fell asleep. You didn’t even react to us talking to you.” Tim said with a frown.   
Liam shrugged. “I was tired yesterday, yeah. Now I’m not tired anymore. Is that a bad thing? I am completely and totally fine. If that changes, you all will be the first to know.”

Liam dug into his muesli and hesitantly the rest started to eat their breakfast too. When they all were done, Liam volunteered to do the dishes which brought him another round of funny looks. Doing the dishes for the whole pack, even with a dishwasher, was nasty and took some time. But Liam needed to blow off some of his energy and entertained himself by turning on the radio and dance around the kitchen while he collected everything and then soaked the dishes in the sink before deciding to clean them up by hand. His Betas fled the scene and Theo stepped behind him. “Are you really sure you’re okay?”  
“Do you feel any pain or discomfort through our mating bond?”  
“No, just the buzzing energy, but I’m still worried about you.”, Theo said and put his hands on Liam’s waist. Liam’s wolf howled happily at the contact.  
“I am fine. Trust me, okay? You know how much I usually sleep. This was a bit too much and I have to regulate my energy level now. That’s all.” Liam repeated and Theo sighed.   
“Okay. If you need anything, I’m in the library.” He kissed Liam’s neck and then left the room.  

When Liam wad done with all the dishes, had stored them away and cleaned the kitchen, he wandered into the library in search of his mate. Theo stood in front of a bookshelf and was flipping through a book when Liam entered. He raised his head and smiled at the Alpha and Liam smiled back as he walked over. When he was close enough he literally jumped his mate and it was only thanks to Theo’s fast reflexes he didn’t get dropped again. 

The chimera huffed but then Liam’s lips were on his in a passionate kiss and Theo wrapped his arms around him and kissed back with equal passion. Liam cupped Theo’s face with his hands and the couple made out until they had to breathe again. When they parted, Theo laughed incredulously.  
“What’s gotten into you?”   
“I want you, that’s all. You’re my mate and you are attractive as hell. I think I told you once that reading is sexy as hell, right? You look hot surrounded by all those books. Ever had sex in a library?”  
Theo laughed. “God, you know what to say to get a guy in the mood.” He bit Liam’s lip and soothed his tongue over it. “Now I have fantasies of bending you over the table and fuck you.”  
Liam moaned and rutted against Theo as good as he could in his current position. “Feel free. And after that, we can move to the bed and you can stay buried inside me for hours. How does that sound?”   
Theo groaned. “I’d love to but I have promised Mike and Nolan to go to the skate park in like...” He checked his watch. “...five minutes. Sorry.” 

It was almost like a cold shower and Liam was really disappointed. But he would not become one of those partners that kept their boyfriends inside and demanded constant attention. No matter how much he would have loved to spend hours mapping out Theo’s body and worshipping him with his teeth and his tongue.  
He nudged his nose against Theo’s. “Have fun with them. And don’t be mad at me.”   
“For what?” Theo asked with a frown and Liam pulled his collar down and sunk his teeth into his neck. It left yet another beautiful bite mark and Theo groaned. “Fuck, Liam, first the clothes, then you jump me and say all those dirty things, and now you’re marking me. You know I love the bite marks. I will never be mad at you.”

He set Liam down again and now it was Theo who cupped Liam’s face with his hands. “I will make it up to you.”  
“You don’t have to. I’m not mad at you.” Liam said with a soft smile. “Just be careful. Fast healing or not, I don’t need my future husband coming home with broken bones.”  
“Future husband, huh?” Theo asked amusedly.  
Liam grinned. “Aren’t you?”  
Theo pulled him into a kiss when Nolan and Mike appeared. “Time for skating!"  They declared and Theo sighed softly and kissed Liam again before he let himself get dragged away by the other two. Liam watched them go with a smile and then he really was in need of a better pastime. 

He found one with cooking and baking, all at the same time. He had grabbed some of the recipes he had collected over time and always said he wanted to try but never actually tried, so he thought now was a good time. And so what if he suddenly had two pies (apple and cherry), one batch of coconut cookies and chocolate cookies each baking and then also prepared some cheeseburgers to fire up the barbecue outside and put the patties on. 

“You are really not cold at all?” Maya hovered at the open door to the garden and watched her Alpha outside in just his tank top. “I freeze when I look at you.”  
Liam shrugged. “Really, I’m running totally hot today.” He said and moved his shoulders in an irritated gesture.   
She picked up on that. “What’s wrong?”  
“Don’t know. Feels a bit uncomfortable. Maybe I slept wrong.”  
“You looked quite peaceful when you curled up with Theo on the couch. It was sweet. Even Theo was surprised how fast you fell asleep yesterday.”  
“Did he carry me to bed?”  
“He fell asleep too but at the end of the movie he woke up again and yeah, picked you up bridal style. You guys are such a cute couple.”

Liam smiled and flipped the patties. “I was never so head over heels for somebody. Theo is the one and only for me and every time I see him, my heart almost jumps out of my chest and beats so wildly. I...I know I can take on everything as long as he’s with me and I am so happy to have him. I want to give him everything.”   
She smiled at him. “I wish you the best. This pack really looks up to you and we all want to have such a relationship like this too. I know you will make it.”  
“Thank you, Maya. Mind handing me the plate with the buns over? The patties are almost ready.” 

The cheeseburgers were ready right in time when the rest of the pack came into the kitchen, starving and thirsty. They all gathered around the table and wolfed down the burgers their Alpha had made.   
“Those are amazing, Liam! If you were single, I would marry you just for them.” Mike said between bites and Liam grinned.  
“I take this as a compliment but don’t let my mate hear this.” He joked and Theo jokingly flashed his eyes at Mike. Liam laughed and then wriggled in his chair.  
“Still uncomfortable?” Maya asked empathically.    
Liam nodded and of course, Theo looked worried. “Uncomfortable?” He asked. Liam shrugged and rolled his shoulders again.  
“Almost as if a loose thread of the shirt is irritating my skin but nothing’s there.I don’t know. I will take a shower, probably will go away afterward.”

It was what he did right after dinner. He took another shower and since he was feeling overheated again, Liam turned the water ice cold. So cold he wouldn’t have been surprised if instead of water ice cubes would have fallen out of the shower head.

But even that didn’t help, the uncomfortable feeling and the heat were only growing, and when Liam left the shower the simply thought of putting on clothes made his skin itch. So he dried off and wrapped the towel around the waist but refrained from getting dressed further. Maybe he was really getting sick. 

Theo found him later leaned against the wall in the bathroom, forehead pressed against the cool tiles next to the sink. Liam felt his mate approach and groaned. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I took an ice cold shower in hope to feel better but it didn’t work and the sheer thought of dressing again makes me even hotter and my skin itchier than before. It’s irritating.”  
“Hm, maybe because you are irritated? It had been a lot lately with Christmas and the parents coming over. You organized two Christmas parties with lots of people, after all, cooked for all of them and even if you had help, you did the main amount of the work. Now you have time to get some rest before the talk with Scott and maybe now everything catches up with you.”

“Hm.” Liam pushed himself away from the wall and looked at Theo. “So what is your advice?”  
“Do whatever you feel like doing. Listen to music?”  
Liam shook his head. “Tried this, it’s too loud right now.”  
“Hm, maybe sleep a bit more?”  
“I slept a lot in the last twenty-four hours, I can’t sleep now.”  
“Well, then just take a deep breath and follow your instinct. Do whatever makes you feel better.” Theo suggested and Liam slowly walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to sit on the floor in front of the bed and lean against it.

Theo knelt next to him and Liam pressed his eyes shut, tried to go with the deep breaths. He was stressing over what was up with him and Theo felt it. “Just deep breaths. Go with what you feel would be good for you at this very moment. Do you want me to leave?”  
“No, please stay.” Liam said without opening his eyes. He focused and searched within himself and then the image of his inner wolf appeared in front of his inner eye. His wolf had never harmed him and Liam trusted him that he could help him feel better. So he really focused on his wolf, still took deep breaths, and just tried to relax. Focusing on his wolf felt good and Liam blocked his mind from thinking about anything else. Just his wolf, nothing else.

And suddenly Theo gasped and Liam opened his eyes to look at him. The twenty-two-year-old looked like a kid on Christmas and smiled happily. “Liam, look in the mirror!” He called out and pointed at their standing mirror in the corner. Liam frowned but stretched his neck to see what had gotten Theo so excited. But instead of seeing himself, he looked at his wolf.

“Liam, you shifted!” Theo said happily and moved so they both could look at their reflection in the mirror. “Like fully and completely shifted.” He laughed happily and this was a beautiful sound for Liam. He realized he heard everything even better now, smelled better, and his eyes had turned even sharper now. Theo’s scent became even more calming now and he happily yipped before he moved closer to his mate and brushed his nose against Theo’s cheek.

Theo laughed and wrapped his arms around Liam, unmistakably enjoying the wolfy cuddles. “Your fur is so soft. You’re such a beautiful wolf. Look at you.” The chimera muttered and pressed soft kisses on Liam’s neck. “And you’re so tall. I’m sure you’re taller than me. That’s a first, puppy.”   
Liam growled in a playful manner and moved away and Theo laughed loudly. He took Liam’s face in his hands and pressed a soft kiss on top of his head. “I am so proud of you. Such an amazing, pretty wolf.” Liam himself looked down at his paws and raised his left front paw at first then the right one, testing out how he could move. He still had the sense of a human, even though his animalistic side was much more prominent now, and he still could not fully believe it. He nosed at Theo’s jeans pocket where his phone was peeking out.   
“Want me to take a picture of you?” Theo was an amazing mate when he understood Liam like that and the Alpha rubbed his head against Theo’s jaw. Theo hugged him again but then pulled out the phone and got to his feet to get a better angle to snap a few pictures of Liam in his wolf form. 

When the little photoshoot was over, Liam sniffed everything in the room, made use of the enhanced senses. When he jumped on the bed, he realized something. He had no idea how to change back. He turned around and whined lowly. Theo understood him once more.   
“Changing back? Okay, for me I can change back if I imagine my human form. Like I see myself shifting again. Two legs, skin instead of fur, all that. I don’t know if this works for you but try it.” He coached Liam and the wolf closed his eyes and recalled his human form. Imagined how his bones would shift again and how he turned human again.

He felt a rush after a while and turning back was far more uncomfortable than fully shifting. When he was human again, Liam blinked and held his head. “Oh, headrush!”  
“Here, drink!” Theo held out a bottle of water for Liam and he gratefully took it and sipped the water.   
“Are you feeling cold?” Theo asked and draped the towel from the floor around Liam’s shoulders.   
Liam shook his head. “Normal temperature again, I’d say.”

The couple looked at each other and then broke out in identical smiles. “Full shift.” Liam said and put his water aside to wrap both arms around Theo.   
They fell back on the bed when Theo wrapped his arms around Liam too and laughed.  
“You are so amazing, Liam! I am so proud of you! This is such a big thing!” Theo muttered praises into his ear and rubbed his back.   
Liam keened. He was so immensely proud of himself and his wolf, now inside his chest again, howled happily. They had taken the next step in their partnership. This was epic. 

“Can we keep this between us for now? I have to wrap my head around this and don’t want to storm downstairs and tell the pack.” Liam asked his boyfriend. Theo nodded. “It’s your thing to tell them, so take all the time you need.” He smiled and kissed Liam lovingly.  
 “What do you say? Get dressed and we watch a movie?” The chimera offered and Liam nodded before he jumped from the bed. He felt way better now and the thought of clothes was not disturbing anymore. He could slip his boxers, sweatpants, and hoodie on without his skin starting to itch. It had been the shifting for sure. 

And when he and Theo curled on the bed and started the movie, he was so happy. This was huge and Liam was so proud of himself and his wolf. They had managed this together, managed something other wolves never did, it was something he could be proud of. 

“I had a dream about Mckenna.”, Liam remembered while the intro played and told Theo all about his dream. Theo listened and showed interest and Liam loved him for it. And when the movie started playing, he found how much closer he felt to his mate too. He was damn lucky.

******  
Next morning came for Liam wrapped around Theo and with the credits of the second movie they had decided on last night playing on the screen. He rolled over and tried to get the remote from Theo’s side of the bed to turn the TV off. Theo grumbled and wrapped both arms around Liam. “Still, puppy, your mate is trying to sleep.”

Liam looked down at the chimera and admired the way Theo’s dark eyelashes looked against his smooth skin. He leaned down and gently nibbled on Theo’s ear while he listened for other sounds. Everybody else was still asleep. “Do you want to sleep or go on a run in the woods with me?” He asked his boyfriend. “And I mean not as humans.”

He could shift now and Theo could also shift so they both could use this ability, right? And it worked because Theo opened his green eyes and looked at Liam. “Some wolfy workout to start the day?” He teased and Liam giggled. He nodded and Theo urged up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m in.”

Liam grinned and slipped from the bed to undress again. “I have to get used to this. Shifting and then being naked.” He confessed.  
“You’ll get used to it in no time. But if it bothers you, you can always shift behind things and somebody can hand over your clothes without looking.”  
“I’ll try to get used to it.”, Liam promised.   
Theo smirked and undressed too. “After all, you’re mine, and nobody has to look at my naked mate!” He stated and his eyes flashed with possessiveness.  
 Liam smiled and when he was completely undressed, he cleared his throat. “So I just concentrate on my wolf form?”  
“Do exactly what you’ve done yesterday. When you concentrated on your wolf, do it again now.” Theo told him and Liam closed his eyes. He focused on his wolf and when he got the image and opened his eyes again, Theo had shifted and so had Liam himself. Theo had been right, Liam in wolf form was taller than Theo who was partly coyote also but Liam still found his mate as the most beautiful wolf around. 

The black wolf pushed his head against Liam’s in a loving gesture and Liam returned the soft movement, scented his boyfriend before he followed Theo. Theo was insanely good at opening doors in his wolf form and soon enough they were in the garden and trotted toward the woods. 

Liam looked at Theo, then he raised his paw and put it on Theo’s back before he dashed forward into the woods. Theo got the hint and soon chased after Liam. Snow was flying left and right as the two wolves chased each other. Liam was running and enjoyed the fresh air and all the scent he took in even better now when Theo suddenly jumped him and the two rolled around and play-wrestled. Liam was able to pin Theo on the ground after a while and the black wolf bared his neck in submission. Liam leaned down and nosed at his mate’s neck.  Theo turned his head and gently pushed his nose against Liam’s. Liam yipped happily and did the same thing to Theo before he let go of him and just curled next to his boyfriend. Theo moved closer and put his head against Liam’s while he closed his eyes and just relaxed with his partner. Liam closed his eyes too and snuggled close to Theo.

Being a wolf made you have no sense of time so Liam could not say how long they had cuddled in the woods but when the finally returned back home, the betas were still sleeping. The two wolves made their way back to their room and Theo shifted back to close the door behind them. Liam took a little bit longer to shift back. It was still not his favorite feeling.

“Does this get better after a while?”  
“The feeling? Yeah, the more often you shift, the more you get used to it. Just don’t shift too often, okay? It’s exhausting for the body and I don’t want you to exhaust  yourself, okay?”  
Liam smiled and took hold of Theo’s arm to pull him close. “I have you as my teacher. I will be fine.”  
Theo smiled and pulled Liam close too. “I will take care of you.” He said and kissed Liam sweetly. Liam smiled and when they parted again, he pulled Theo closer to the bathroom. 

"Did you feel like you looked different after you shifted?” He asked Theo and looked himself in the mirror. Theo stepped behind him and shook his head while fixating Liam’s reflection. “You feel different but I don't think you look different. You look happy and as gorgeous as ever.”  
“You always make me blush when you say things like that.” Liam said and true to his words his cheeks turned pink. Theo chuckled.  
“Just the truth.”

He turned Liam around and kissed him. Liam held onto Theo’s shoulders because that kiss surely knocked the wind out of him. He would never get over how much of an incredible kisser Theo was. He was not ashamed of the moan he released once Theo sucked on his tongue. They pressed against the bathroom counter and passionately made out before the need for air became too much. 

When they parted to breathe, Theo pushed Liam against the opposing wall and trapped him there between the wall and his body. His eyes flashed with unhidden desire and Liam bit his lower lip coyly and his own eyes flared red. Theo growled and turned him around so Liam was facing the wall and could steady himself on there. 

He spread his legs without Theo telling him to and his mate kissed his shoulder and his neck in a loving gesture while his warm hands ran all over Liam’s sides and his back and finally stopped to squeeze and grope his butt. Liam gasped and moaned loudly, head thrown back and bucking into Theo’s touches. He reached up and ran his hand through Theo’s hair when the older leaned over and kissed and sucked on his throat.

Liam moaned when he felt Theo’s teeth. They really had discovered a new kink with their bite marks and stuff but Liam absolutely loved it. He wanted to wear his mate’s mark and not only the mating mark. Theo licked over the mark and then raised his head. “You’re such a pretty Alpha. And you look even prettier with my mark on your skin. Aside from my mating mark.” He gave Liam’s ass a slap and stepped back to grab the shower gel from the shower and lube his fingers.

When he was back he spread Liam’s ass and pushed a finger into his hole. Liam leaned his head against the wall and gasped. His hips pushed back against the finger inside him and he clenched around it. Hopefully, Theo would add a second finger soon because Liam was already going crazy. 

When Theo did, Liam bucked his hips and rested his forehead against the cold tiles. His hand wrapped around his cock, he smeared the precum all over his shaft. Theo watched him and chuckled into Liam’s ear while he prepared his lover. “There is something about you jerking off, you know? Maybe I should film this one day. You have a video of me too after all.”  
“If you insist we can film ourselves too, no problem with that.” Liam gave back and pumped his cock. He groaned and Theo’s teeth sank into his shoulder.  
“Naughty little Alpha. I’d love that one day.” He twisted his fingers and a third one slipped inside Liam. The Alpha gasped when Theo started to fuck him with his fingers. He groaned and tilted his head and tried not to scrape his nails over the tiles. 

And then Theo’s fingers disappeared and Liam whined because of the loss. He felt so empty and looked over his shoulder. Theo looked gorgeous. His lips were swollen from their kissing before, pupils were blown wide, and cheeks flushed. Liam didn’t look different from what he could see from his reflection in the mirror.  And that’s when he got an idea.  
“When you fuck me, turn me around. Want to see how you fuck me.”  
Theo followed Liam’s line of sight to the mirror above the basin and groaned. “Fuck, one day you will be the death of me, puppy.” He mumbled but when he turned his attention back to Liam again, his eyes flashed and he grinned. “But your wish is my command!”

And so he turned Liam around again and picked him up. Liam had only time to wrap his legs around Theo and then his boyfriend was inside him and filled him completely with his hard cock. He moaned and clung to Theo and when he cast a look into the mirror, he moaned again. Blue eyes clouded with lust and clinging to his boyfriend who slowly started to move into him, lips red and swollen because he was biting down on them, cheeks flushed with pleasure. He looked debauched and when Theo moved inside him and Liam could see it in the mirror, he had to admit it was kinky as fuck. 

But he loved it and started to move against Theo as good as he could. Soon enough they found a fast rhythm and Liam didn’t even care that his back rubbed against the wall. Theo groaned when Liam pulled at his hair and tilted the head to look at Liam. “Fucking sinful.”  
“Who? You? Yep, agreed.” Liam teased and Theo growled.  
“You for fuck’s sake! You are fucking sinful! But thanks.” He smirked up at Liam and the younger tilted Theo’s head to press their lips together and kiss him passionately, lick into Theo’s mouth. His mating bite was on fire and he tightened his legs around Theo. One of his hands had grabbed his cock again and she pumped himself. Not really in time with Theo, the chimera fucked him too fast for that, but close enough.  
“Theo...oh god...Theo.” Liam watched himself tilt his head back and part his lips to moan and groan and let his mate know how much he enjoyed the fucking. Every time Theo thrust into him, his body shook and Liam gasped. This felt like heaven and hell at the same time. 

He growled and Theo looked up at him. His eyes were blazing and Liam replied with the same blazing eyes. Inside them, their wolves reacted as well, growled at each other, though never hostile. Their inner animals worked on the same connection and their persons, they were mated and enjoyed the sex.   
Theo smirked and thrust especially deep into Liam, causing him to scream out.”Look at us! Is that what you wanted? To see me wreck you?” Theo asked after a look over his shoulder. Liam only nodded, not able to form words right now. Theo growled and moaned too and his claws pierced the skin where he was holding Liam up. He saw it in the mirror and groaned at the sight.  
”Your naughty little Alpha loves to see this.” He muttered after a while.

They both moaned again and rutted against each other and then Liam needed a few more pumps to his cock and he came all over his hand and between them. He called Theo’s name and bit down on his lower lip, fangs ripped the skin once more and drew blood. Theo needed a few more thrusts, then he reached his orgasm deep inside Liam and groaned out Liam’s name before he collapsed against his mate.

They stayed in their current position for a while and Liam closed his eyes before he tilted his head back. “Fuck, that was awesome.” He muttered weakly and Theo just hummed in agreement. Only when he was sure Liam was able to stand on his own two legs, the older let him down and slipped out of him. 

“You hurt yourself.” He said and gently stroke over Liam’s lip with his thumb. Liam’s tongue darted out and licked away the remains of the blood. “It will heal in a few moments.”  
“No hurting yourself.” Theo said softly and gently kissed Liam's lips, sucked softly on the abused flesh.   
Liam chuckled. “I’m fine, silly. But thanks for caring about me.”  
“Always. You’re my mate and I love you.” Theo muttered. “Come on, baby, shower.” 

He pulled Liam into the shower and turned the water on. Liam followed but wrapped his arms around Theo and for a while, the couple just stood under the warm water in their loving embrace. A perfect way to start the morning. First a wolf run and now the two of them so close. Nothing was better. 

* * *

Author's note:

This is how I imagine Liam's wolf by the way. Liam's wolf just has a little more grey in the white of his fur. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ever :O Thank god nobody got hurt. About the rest...  
> I am really curious what you have to say about it and I really hope you like it :D  
> Let me know :D


	29. You and me, we’re quite the dream team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam shares the new about his full shift with the pack, and then he and Theo have some things to sort out.

Liam had said he wanted to keep it between Theo and himself that he could fully shift because he needed time to wrap his head around it. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his pack or wanted to exclude them but it was overwhelming. Although Liam had not expected it to be that hard and almost impossible. Because the minute his Betas saw him during the morning, they pounced and demanded to know how he felt. Liam was in such a good mood after the great morning run and his time with Theo in the bathroom, but they still worried about their Alpha.

 “Are you okay?" “Do you feel better?” “Did you sleep enough?”  
“Guys, whoa, deep breaths! Don’t forget to breathe, you all need air.” Liam said and raised his hands to calm the group down.  
“Are you still feeling sick? Do you feel worse? Will you die?”  
“Nobody dies here!” Liam said firmly. “I am feeling fine, great even. I....” He sighed and looked at Theo who chuckled and put one arm around his waist to pull him close.  
“Tell them.” He whispered into Liam’s ear, lips brushed the shell softly, but loud enough for the others to hear.

“Tell us what?” “Are you getting married?” “Are you adopting?” “Did you broke up? Don’t tell us you broke up!” “Look at them, as if they would ever break up. They smell even more in love this morning!”  
That one was true. Since they both could shift and had their run and their wolfy cuddles this morning, Liam felt an even deeper connection to Theo than before and he knew his mate felt the same. The mated couple now smiled at each other. Liam’s blue eyes shone with happiness. “I fully shifted last night for the first time!” He blurted out and the Betas got quiet.  

“That’s not what I had expected.”, Maya said stunned. The others were not less perplex than her.  
“You really can do a full shift? Like Theo?” Nolan asked.  
Liam nodded and smiled. “Yeah.” He said happily. “It’s amazing.”  
The Betas were quiet for a moment, processed what Liam said, and then:  
“Show us! Show us! Show us!” 

Liam and Theo shared a look and laughed at their Beta’s excitement. Liam pushed himself off the counter where he had braced his arms on and pulled his shirt over his head. It was still strange to undress and be naked in front of others, but the counter gave him a bit of privacy to completely undress. When he finally had dropped his clothes on the floor, he concentrated on his wolf and not long after felt the sensation he grew familiar with. 

The pack gasped when they saw Liam in his wolf form for the first time. Theo knelt down and gently kissed the bridge of Liam’s nose. “Look at this beautiful wolf! Isn’t our Alpha the most beautiful one?” He raved and Liam grumbled pleased by the compliments. Who would not like to hear his mate fancy about his wolf form?   
“He is really pretty. Can we pet him?” Tim asked Theo.  
“Why are you asking me? It’s still Liam. He can hear you just right and his animal may be closer but he still has his human way of thinking. He just can’t answer with words.” Theo said with a laugh and Liam snuggled into his mate. Theo chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around his mate to kiss Liam’s neck. “My pretty Alpha.” He mumbled softly. “My beautiful mate.”

Liam loved to hear those words and would have loved to return them but right now he could not really do that and just brushed his nose against Theo’s cheek and grumbled happily. Then he stepped forward and allowed his Betas to pet him.   
“This is so cool. A real fucking wolf.” Mike whispered devoutly.  
Yet after a while, Liam realized why Theo didn’t like to be touched when he was shifted. Liam touching him was okay and Liam had no problem with Theo touching him but too many people grew to be pesky and he pulled away to shift back. 

When he stood on his two human legs again, he heard Theo’s growl and smirked. “I don’t know why you’re gaping. Yes, my mate is attractive and gorgeous but he is just that: Mine! Eyes up!” The chimera snapped at the Betas.  
“I remember a similar situation months ago. The roles were just reversed and you had absolutely no problem with parading around butt naked.” Liam mocked his mate when he put his clothes back on and Theo glared at him. Liam just smiled innocently.   
“I was single at that time.” Theo reminded him.   
“So?” Liam asked, still keeping that innocent act up. “I didn’t like it either.”   
“You are now taken and Betas or not: Mine!”  
“You two are really possessive of each other. Is this a wolf trait?” Nolan asked curiously.   
“It’s a Thiam trait.” Liam and Theo said at the same time while they still looked at each other. Liam smirked and winked at Theo. Theo chimera held his glance and then his eyes dropped to Liam’s lip when Liam playfully bit it. Liam felt quite proud he could get this reaction out of his boyfriend. 

“Come on, I’ll make you breakfast. Somebody wants to help me?” The young Alpha asked and when he walked past Theo, he brushed his fingers over his boyfriend’s chest in a teasing manner.   
“We’ll help you.” Maya and Sadie said. “And you tell us how you managed to shift, okay? Every detail.”   
Liam laughed and opened the fridge. “Okay.” 

Liam kept his promise and told his Betas what happened. How his condition yesterday led to him shifting into a full wolf. They all marveled at the story and Liam felt the pride rush through the mating bound and when he looked over he saw Theo smile. Something Liam had to mention later when he and Theo were alone. 

“You really like the fact I can fully shift now, hm?” He asked while he grabbed his laptop and settled at the desk in their room.   
“It takes a lot to fully shift and it’s an admirable work. Of course, I am proud of you.” Theo said and kissed Liam’s cheek. “You are amazing.” He muttered into Liam’s ear and sucked on the earlobe. Liam moaned softly and tilted his head when Theo kissed his neck.   
“You are amazing as well, T.” He mumbled and felt Theo smile against his skin. “And I love you.”  
“I love you too.” Theo muttered. 

He leaned his head against Liam’s. “Do you want to work or why did you grab your laptop?”  
“Well, it’s Christmas break but I still need to figure out what to do with my major. Yes, I said I will stick with history as long as I don’t know what I rather want but I still want to try and figure it out, you know?”  
“You have to do what makes you happy. I want you to be happy.”  
Liam tilted his head back so he could look at Theo. “And what about you? I know you’re not happy with your job currently as well. So, have you thought of switching?”  
Theo shrugged. “Not really. It’s just a rough patch. I handled worse.” He smiled at Liam. “Don’t worry, okay? I can handle it.”  
“I know you can. You’re a tough cookie.”  
Theo rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky I love you, puppy.” He muttered and patted Liam’s shoulders. “if you need me, I will be in the library.”

“Okay.” Liam smiled and when his boyfriend left, he turned his attention towards his laptop. Before Winter break started, he had scheduled a meeting with the counselor and got a list of potential majors that might be interesting for Liam and now Liam planned on working through that list.   
He read through that list and at some point got joined by Koda who curled up next to his person and had Liam pet him from time to time. 

“Cooking. Am I a chef?” Liam asked the little fella and Koda blinked at him. “Right. I like to cook when I have time but I hate to get stressed in the kitchen.”  
Liam scrolled further down the list. “What about game design? I like video games.” Koda yipped. “But I’m not artistic enough.” Liam muttered sadly and Koda put his front paws against his leg and looked up at the Alpha. Liam picked him up and put him on his lap, eyes still on the screen.   
“Mathematics?” Koda yawned.  
“Literature. Maybe I could become a writer.” Liam asked out loud and raised Koda so they could see eye to eye. The puppy licked his nose and Liam laughed. “Thanks for the support, buddy.”

“Literature? You want to major in literature?” Theo asked when Liam talked about his choices and possibilities later on during lunch. He still had not decided on anything but maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched and he shared his thoughts with his pack. Theo chimera had an eyebrow raised and looked at Liam.  
“It’s a possibility. Why not?” You look at me like I completely lost my mind.”  
“It’s just....” Theo shrugged. “You don’t like to read.”  
“Do I have to read in order to write?”  
“Would be useful, yeah. You are also not very good with words.”  
Being brutally honest with each other was their thing. Didn’t mean Liam had to like what he heard. “Wow, thanks, darling. Always nice to get a compliment from you.” He said sarcastically and Theo rolled his eyes.  
“I’m just being real, sweetheart. That’s almost as if I would switch to major in Spanish.”  
Theo hated Spanish with a fierce passion. Liam could remember the many tests Theo almost failed and just passed because Liam sat him down to study.

Liam narrowed his eyes at his boyfriend and Theo held his glare relatively unimpressed. “What else do you have?”  
Liam shrugged. “I’m still working through the list.” He mumbled and continued eating his food. Maybe history was the best for him.   
“What about Med? Following in your dad’s footsteps?” Tim offered and Liam grimaced.   
“I wouldn’t be a good doctor and besides I have enough blood and pain in my daily life, I don’t need to add to this.”  
“The second reason agreed, but I can actually see you being a great doctor. A pediatrician. Kids would love you.”  
“Speaking of kids: Kindergarten teacher, how about that?” Maya suggested.  
“Ah, yes that would be a great fit.”, Tim said with a nod.  
“No! No job for Liam where he has access to finger paint and glitter!” Theo strictly said and Liam snorted into his water he had been drinking.  
“I smell a story behind that.”, Sadie responded with a grin and Liam chuckled.  
“Uh, I know that one.” Nolan remembered. “The blue handprint on Theo’s truck door.”  
“On the truck door. On the seats, On the freaking window. With glitter!” Theo growled and Liam laughed  
“That was a fun day!”  
“Not for me.”, Theo said dryly. “I even had a handprint in blue on my cheek and glitter in my hair because Liam felt the need to touch my face.”  
“You looked good.”, Liam said innocently and Theo growled again.  
“Save it!”

******  
Liam had been bored after lunch and decided to clean up a bit. While he started, he had found a box full of things belonging to Theo. He cradled it to his chest and carried it in the library where Theo had moved back to after they ate. 

“Baby?” Liam asked and Theo raised his head from his book with a sigh. He hated to be interrupted when he was reading.   
“I’m cleaning up a bit and found this box. Do you want to keep those things inside?” He asked. “It stood in the closet.”  
Theo sighed again but put his book aside and moved closer to look through the things. It was various stuff and he shook his head. “Not really. If you want something from it, you can keep it, but if you want to throw it away, that’s fine by me too.”

Liam put the box on the ground and sorted through the things. Some old and empty pens, old notepads, papers, two art magazines, things you gather over time.   
“And you’re mocking me for being chaotic?“ Liam asked while he sorted through the box of things Theo kept but never really needed. “We don’t live in this house for so long, how did you manage to gather all this already?“  
“I gathered it over the years and just stored it there.“ Theo defended himself. “Can I continue reading or do you insist on continue mocking me?“

Liam grinned at him and Theo rolled his eyed before he raised his book again and began reading again. Not for long because Liam found something.   
“You have drawing chalks?“  
Theo groaned and Liam knew he was stressing it and really going on his mate’s nerves but he couldn’t help it. It was interesting, to say the least, and he was bored but also wanted to spend time with Theo, even though they were not doing something together per se.

“I got it sometime, think it was in a set I once brought.“ Theo drawled. “Why?“  
“Nothing. Can I have it?“ Liam asked and grabbed a large drawing pad. “And that one?“  
“Sure. I don’t need it. I don’t like drawing with chalk and I rather draw on smaller pads than that. Feel free to do whatever you want to do with it.“  
“Kay, thanks.“

Theo hummed and returned his attention back to his book and Liam settled on the floor underneath the window to spread out everything and have enough space to work. He opened the box carefully and marveled at the array of colors before he picked the black chalk and started with the outlines. He didn’t have a complete idea but a vague image in mind. Enough to get him started and give him something, to begin with.

“If you were a hero on a quest to save the kingdom, what kind of companion would you like?“ He asked while smudging some lines with his index finger. He didn’t even need to see it, to know Theo rolled his eyes because he heard the deep sigh from his boyfriend.  
“An Ork.“ Theo grumbled but didn’t elaborate.  
“Okay. Thanks.“ Liam said and continued drawing and Theo huffed and turned a page in his book.

It took two minutes and Liam spoke again. “Which shade of red is prettier?“  
Theo tilted his head back and let it thud against the backrest oft he couch. “Liam, I swear!“  
“I’m sorry, I’m just curious!“  
Liam knew Theo wanted to read in peace but he couldn’t help himself.  
“Liam, I love you, but you are annoying. Like a really overexcited puppy. Think you can let me just read? Pick whatever color you like and let me finish my book!“  
“Okay, sorry, sorry.“

Liam decided on one red chalk and began to color what he had drawn before. He stopped every once in a while to rub the chalk and create a better look. Some particles of the chalks got in his nose and she sneezed.  
“Liam!“  
"I sneezed!“ Liam defended himself and tried to refrain from rubbing his nose with his stained fingers. Theo just growled and moved into a better position to read. It didn’t need their deep connection for Liam to know his boyfriend was mad. That wasn’t what he wanted and he bit his lip while he tried not to make too many sounds from now on. When even his sneezing set Theo off, the chimera was pissed as hell. Liam was sorry about that. He knew he could be annoying but he wanted to just tease Theo a bit in the beginning. That it was all serious now had not been what he wanted to achieve. 

“Theo, I’m so….“  
“For fuck’s sake, Liam, just shut up! All I want is to read, is this so hard to understand?“  
“I just wanted to apo…“  
“You’re still talking!“ Theo snapped and looked at him. “And you have chalk on your cheek. Seriously, sometimes you’re worse than a little kid and I feel like your babysitter.“  
Liam rubbed his cheek where he supposed the chalk to be and it came back stained with black. Theo’s words hurt but he knew he had brought this upon himself. He nodded and said nothing to his defense. Theo was right, he was annoying and it was better when he stayed silent for a while now. He just had been excited to be a bit creative and be with Theo. Since his full shift, he felt an even stronger connection to Theo and wanted to be around him. Guess for Theo he just came off as clingy.

He quietly grabbed the drawing pad and the chalk and slowly got up again and sneaked out of the room. He walked upstairs into their bedroom and moved in front of one of the window seats to work there. That way he didn’t disturb Theo too much. And to tune out the silence, he grabbed his music player and plucked in his headphones. 

Liam drew what came to his mind and was currently working on a set of beautiful hummingbirds with vibrant colored feathers. He had an idea where he wanted to go with it but it was also fun to play around with the various colors the box had to offer, mix some of them together and create something entirely new.  
When it was time to cook dinner and Maya called him for help, Liam’s hand were stained with chalk dust and he spent a minute scrubbing them in the bathroom before dutifully cleaning the sink ere he walked downstairs into the kitchen and started cutting potatoes and helping Maya preparing her potato gratin.  
“Are you okay?” She asked him.   
“Yeah. Why?” Liam said with a brave smile.    
“You are so quiet. Sure everything is okay?”  
Liam nodded and obviously, he got better at lying because his Beta didn’t pick up on the lie. Liam was not really okay, he was more or less avoiding his grumpy mate. 

Theo had several moods, one when he was in a really bad one, where he needed to get pushed to the point where he exploded and just yelled out his frustration; but there was also the mood he currently was in, when he was annoyed and pissed, and Liam knew the best thing was to avoid the chimera when he was like that. It hurt, even more, because he was the reason Theo was so mad right now, but that’s how the twenty-two-year-old worked.

When Ever called Theo for dinner, he grumbled about disturbing his peaceful time but he followed her towards the table and sat down to grab something to eat. During dinner, Liam thought Theo’s mood was slowly getting better, but right at the end, Theo received a text from his boss with his schedule in the new year and his mood reached a critical point. He gritted his teeth, scoffed, and slammed the door to the library shut behind him.   
“Let him.”, Liam said. “He’s in a bad mood today. We all have those days. It’s human.” 

And he followed his own advice and left Theo to his books. He returned to their room and kept on drawing for a while longer until Theo suddenly stepped into the room and went straight to changing into his pajamas.   
“You literally have chalk everywhere, even on your shirt.” He said with a sigh but it wasn’t really fond. More like he was exhausted and fed up with Liam’s antics.  
“You know, I can wash, that’s not a big deal, and I will clean up after I’m done.”  
“You look and act like a toddler, you are aware of that? So much for strong Alpha. It’s so exhausting sometimes.” Theo shook his head.

“Okay, I am aware you are in a bad mood, we all are aware of that. But calm down now, okay?” Liam said. He really tried to keep his voice calm, even though his hurt feelings and his anger issues were starting to boil inside him.   
“Maybe I wouldn’t be in a bad mood if I had managed to read in peace without some hyperactive human puppy always interrupting me!”  
“I wanted to spend time with you!”  
“Well, I wanted to read. But let me guess, if Liam wants something, we all have to drop everything, right?”  
“I never said that!” Liam called out.  
“Right. But that’s what you are thinking.”  
“It’s not. Stop telling me what I think and what not!” Liam snarled.  
Theo just smiled smugly. “Is the little wolfy getting irritated?”  
“Stop that.” Liam said with a shake of his head. “You’re being mean.”  
“I’m just keeping it real. Something you obviously don’t like that much.” Theo sneered. “But really, this is not how I will spend my night. Curl in the bed and cry yourself to sleep because everybody is being so mean to the poor little Alpha wolfy. I think I’m going to sleep in the library! As far away from you as possible.” He grabbed his pillow and his blanket and rushed out. And Liam was left standing there.   
“Fuck you!” He shouted after Theo and slammed the door shut. Moments later the door to the library slammed shut too.

It was hard to fight with Theo, Liam knew it would always be hard. But they both were stubborn, they both had their pride, and both could be emotional. Their fights were meant to be nasty and hard. And devastating when the anger receded and the sadness came up. Liam hated fighting with Theo, always had hated it since they became friends. Theo and he had this connection and now they only deepened this connection by becoming a couple and sharing the mating bond. 

And like always when he and Theo fought, Liam felt cold. He put his drawings together and cleaned up, then he washed his hands again and changed into PJs as well before he slipped under the covers. The bed was way too big for him alone and Theo’s side looked strange without pillow and blanket. Liam turned around and decided to ignore this as well as the ache in his chest. He wrapped himself in the blanket to be as warm as possible and tried to fall asleep. 

But the longer he laid there, the more it became prominent he couldn’t fall asleep. His thoughts were with Theo downstairs and he thought about everything. Did Theo feel sorry too? Or was he still mad at Liam? Their mating link was blocked since their fight, he had no idea who Theo really felt. Liam sighed and rolled on his back, stared at the dark ceiling. He missed the chimera, missed his body beside him, his arms around Liam, his scent, his heartbeat, his warmth. He even missed Theo’s smile and the fond way he looked at Liam.   
Liam groaned an pulled the blanket over his head, hid from the world. He swallowed and curled up under the covers, hands grabbed the pillow so tight, his knuckles turned white. It felt like his whole body shut down and even swallowing hurt right now. Every bone ached but the worse was his heart. His heart which felt like an ice cold chain was wrapped around it and squeezed every drop of life and every ounce of happiness out of it. It hurt and the longer he laid in bed, the worse it got until he finally couldn’t take it anymore. He threw the covers back and got out of bed. 

Liam struggled a bit on his feet, which was new for him and when he walked towards the door he bumped against the doorframe with his shoulder. It was a short numb pain and he rubbed his shoulder while he tiptoed down the stairs. The house was dark and empty, everyone seemed asleep, and Liam moved carefully.

He hesitated in front of the library and thought about knocking but then decided against it and just opened the door to slip inside. The room was dark too but he could make out Theo curled on the couch. His heart ached when he thought Theo was sleeping peacefully and seemed to not have the same problems as Liam, but then Liam noticed the small whimpers, stifled by the blanket pulled over Theo. The young Alpha slowly walked over and then simply lifted the blanket to slip behind Theo and immediately wrap his arms around him. 

Theo let out a startled sound but Liam didn’t stop, tugged the covers over their heads, and hid his face in the crook of Theo’s neck. Even if Theo kicked him out again, he needed this short moment of being close to his mate. God, he sounded so needy and clingy again...  
“Liam.” Theo murmured softly. Liam didn’t butch. He wanted to make this last as long as he could. “Liam.” Theo tried again.  
He moved softly in Liam’s grip, so Liam was forced to move his head too, yet when Theo finally faced him, Liam didn’t dare to meet his eyes.  
Against Liam’s fears, Theo reached out and softly stroked his cheek. “Please, don't cry.”  
Was he crying? Liam had not really noticed but now that Theo mentioned it, he realized his cheeks were wet and the tears were rolling down his cheeks. Theo wiped the tears away with his fingers but new ones were falling down immediately. 

And then Theo engulfed him in this tight embrace and a strangled sob escaped his lips before he clung to Theo like he was drowning and Theo was his lifesaver.   
“I didn’t want to annoy you.” Liam sobbed and Theo buried his head in the crook of Liam’s neck while he shook his head.   
“Theo.”, Liam mumbled. “Theo, please. I’m sorry.” His voice broke at the end and he whimpered. He needed Theo to say something! “Theo, please! Kick me out! Punch me! But talk to me!” He begged.  
Theo remained silent and Liam grew desperate. Was Theo that mad at him? Did he hate him so much? Liam could not bear this any longer but then Theo suddenly did speak. “I am sorry.” He whispered and swallowed harshly. “I am sorry for being such a terrible mate and making you cry.”  
“You are not terrible! I am sorry for making you so mad you snapped.”  
“I’m sorry for snapping.”

Liam sighed. He knew them both, this could go on and on. So he simply pulled Theo tighter. “Come here.” He whispered and hugged Theo as tight as he could without hurting his boyfriend. Theo hugged him back and for a while, they just laid there and hugged it out. 

“I missed you.” Liam murmured after a while. “It’s why I came down. I couldn't stand being separated from you any longer.”  
“I couldn’t stand it any longer either but I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to come back. If you wanted to see me.” Theo confessed.  
Liam pulled back and made Theo look at him. “Hey, look at me! I always want to see you. No matter how much we fight, no matter how angry I am, I always want to see you, okay?”

They stared at each other and finally, Theo nodded. “Good.”, Liam said with a small smile. “Can I kiss you?”  
“You can always kiss me. Even in the middle of a screaming match. You are always allowed to kiss me.”

And so Liam did kiss Theo. Soft and sweet and full of love and it felt like his broken heart snapped into one again. He had his Theo back for good. Maybe it was just imagination but this kiss tasted sweeter than any other kiss they ever shared. Theo sighed into the kiss and returned it as soft as Liam started it and when they finally broke apart, he smiled.   
“I love you.” Both muttered at the same time and laughed.   
“Everything okay between us again?” Liam asked and Theo nodded softly.   
“I had enough emotional drama to last a few months.” The older replied and yeah, Liam could get behind that. 

“So, do you want to sleep?”   
Theo shook his head. “Can’t. I’m too riled up. Too many emotions to calm, down and just sleep, you know?”  
“Yeah, me too.” Liam thought for a moment. “We could build a blanket fort in our bedroom. That way we have something to curl up in, have something to shield us from the world, and it’s a fun thing to pass time. It’s also years since I last build one.”  
"The last one was on our first Christmas together, right? After the war.” Theo remembered and Liam smiled.  
“When we watched How to train your dragon and discussed which dragon we would like to train.” He added.   
Theo chuckled. “Yeah. Okay. Let’s go build a blanket fort.”

He slowly untangled himself from Liam and the blanket and the stood up and held out his hand for Liam. Liam took it and let himself get pulled off the couch. He grabbed Theo’s blanket and Theo grabbed his pillow before they sneaked back into their room hand in hand. 

In there Liam got pulled against Theo again and he received another soft kiss. “I love you.” The chimera muttered and nosed along Liam’s jaw.   
“I love you too.”, Liam said and gently squeezed his arm. “Now, come on, let’s build the fort, then we can cuddle.”  
Theo chuckled and kissed his cheek but then he let go of Liam to gather everything they needed. If you asked Liam, he would say he didn’t have many talents but building a blanket fort was one of them. He knew what to place where to get the best and coziest blanket fort ever seen. Theo was a great helper and soon enough they had the blankets strapped to the wardrobe and the bed and had created a comfortable and fluffy base with lots of blankets and pillows. 

“Those?” Theo asked and held up a string of fairy lights.  
Liam looked up from where he had fiddled with his laptop and nodded. “Of course. No blanket fort without lights.” He said and Theo grinned before he got up and hung up the lights on the makeshift ceiling of their little hideaway. Liam had managed to get the laptop running so they had some soft music playing in the background while they worked. 

When they were finally done, Liam was proud of their fort. “It looks awesome!” He said with a proud nod and his hands on his hips while he surveyed what they had done. Theo hummed his approval and then pulled the blanket aside that they used as curtain fo the entrance. “Get your sexy ass inside.” 

Liam chuckled but then crawled into the fort and slipped under the blankets there. Theo joined him not long after and when the curtain fell, it became darker and only the fairy lights and three bigger lights that looked like candles but were LED lights Liam had placed on the side, gave them light. It was cozy, it was secluded, it was everything. 

Theo crawled next to Liam and both laid there, shoulders touching and both on their backs, while they looked at the sparkling lights above them.  
“We really need to learn to cope better with our emotions.” Liam said after a while.   
“We are both emotionally so invested in each other, this will be hard. But you’re right, we need to work on this.” Theo agreed.  
Liam hummed and slowly reached out to rub the back of his hand against Theo’s before he finally laced their fingers together. “We will work on this together because together is where we belong. And together we will manage it.” He was sure of that.  
“Yeah. You and me, we’re quite the dream team. We could take over the world.” Theo said with a chuckle and Liam laughed.  
“Seattle today, tomorrow the world.” He liked that idea and rolled on his side to face Theo. Theo turned his head and looked at him.

“Hi.” He said with a smile. “Hi.” Liam replied with a chuckle.   
They looked at each other with all the love and adoration they had for each other and Liam slowly moved closer to put his head on Theo’s chest and toss his arm over Theo’s stomach. “I’m so happy to have you.” He said lowly. 

Theo wrapped his arm around Liam’s shoulder and stroke over his back and between his shoulder blades. “I’m happy to have you too.” He responded and pulled Liam momentarily closer to press a soft kiss on his forehead.   
“You’re my favorite blanket fort building partner.” Liam confessed and Theo laughed loudly. “Don’t let Mason hear this!”  
“Nah, I’m sure he takes Corey over me any day.”   
“I’m sure he takes Corey...No, I’m not making this dirty joke!”  
Liam chortled. “You just did, if you finish or not doesn’t matter. Dirty mind!”   
“You love my dirty mind.”   
“Oh yes, I do.” Liam pushed himself up so he could lean over Theo. “I’m your naughty little Alpha after all, aren’t I?”  
Theo smirked. “Damn right you are.” 

He put his hand on the back of Liam’s neck and pulled him down to kiss him. Liam melted into the kiss and pressed against Theo to kiss him back. Soon enough Theo wrapped his other arm around Liam’s waist and completely pulled the young Alpha on top of him. It was not even sexual at this very moment, both just wanted to be as close as possible. 

“I love you so much and I actually loved it when you came to stick around in the library. It’s nice to have you that closeby. Even though I still have no idea what exactly you were doing and just wanted to read at that point.” Theo told Liam in a break between the soft kisses they shared.   
“I did some drawing with the chalks, nothing important.” Liam waved it off but he had not counted on Theo now showing actual interest in his work.   
“Well, will you show me?”  
“I can show you one other time. It’s really nothing major.”  
“Liam, hey. You spent hours with this, so please let me see what you did. I showed you my art too.” That was something he could not argue with and he sighed. “Okay, fine. But don’t laugh.”

He pecked Theo’s lips and then got up from his boyfriend (which sounded dirtier than it was) and crawled out of their fort. He walked to the desk to grab his drawings and carry them over to the fort. When Liam crawled back in, Theo had sat up. “I would never laugh.” He promised Liam and held out his hand.

Liam bit his lower lip and handed the drawings over. He viewed Theo as an insanely talented artist so he was afraid what his mate would have to say about his ragged drawings. Theo looked through them all and took his time to inspect every single one closely. “You drew this? I really had no idea you could do that.”  
“I can’t draw shit with a pencil but with chalks, it gets easier. Probably because I can smudge the lines or whatever, I’m not sure. I’m better when I can I use my hands fully. I mean, I know it’s nothing compared to your art but it was fun for today.”  
“This is stunning, Liam. Absolutely amazing. Those hummingbirds are certainly pretty.”  
Liam smiled softly. “You mean that?”  
Theo looked at him. “You know I’m not lying to make you feel better. Never have and never will. We keep things 100 between us.”  
He held up the drawings with the hummingbirds and pointed at one with bright blue feathers and a dark blue head. “I especially love that one.”

“Those are hummingbird fairies.“ Liam explained. “This is their animal form.“  
“Hummingbird fairies?“ Theo asked.  
“They are part of a world I once created inside my head. Mason and I once thought it would be cool to create a video game like Skyrim – I know not very innovative – and I started to invent some beings of this world. The hummingbird fairies were part of that. They can either transform into a hummingbird or be in their fairy form with their little wings and all. They are very rare and most say they don‘t exist. Very shy creatures and usually peaceful, even though they can defend themselves.“

Theo looked at him the same way he had looked at Liam back then at the zoo when he talked about Mykonos. “I take back what I said about you becoming a writer. You should definitively write a book.“  
Liam blushed. “This is just one idea and it’s not even very innovative. Also, I don‘t know how to design a game so it will never be a reality. And I don‘t have a good enough idea or a better idea to turn it into a book.“  
“I like what you already drew and you can always develop the idea and either work with somebody to turn it into a game or turn this idea into a real book one day. Some bestsellers grew from less than that. You don’t need to have that one idea no one else ever had before you. It’s simply important to pour your heart into it and get your own twist on the thing.“ Theo put the drawings carefully aside and put his arms around Liam to bring them both into a lying position. They faced each other and Theo had one arm over Liam‘s hips, stroking him through his shirt.

“Tell me more.“ He said softly and Liam smiled.  
“I think it would be cool to have different dragons. But not really as enemies. I mean, of course, some you have to slay, but I think it would be cool if lots of the enemies in the game could become your friends. Like, if you feed the wild animals instead of attacking them, they don‘t kill you but join you, you know?“  
“Sounds very interesting. Do you have any main storyline in your mind?“  
Liam shook his head and reached out to play with the pack pendant on Theo’s necklace which had slipped out of his shirt. “As I said, it was just a crazy idea.“  
“Not really that crazy. You have Mike who has money on one hand and is great with computers on the other. If you two work together, you may be able to realize this game one day, baby.“  
“Are you having a fever? Are you delirious?“ Liam asked and felt Theo’s forehead. The chimera huffed.  
“I’m trying to encourage you here, idiot.“  
“Aww, you say the sweetest things, you dork!“ Liam replied dryly and yelped when Theo rolled on top of him and pressed him down on the pillows and blankets.

“Does my little Alpha get cheeky? Guess I have to teach you some manners!“ He teased.  
“And here I thought you enjoyed me being your _naughty_ little Alpha. Now you want to teach me some manners? That‘s a shame.“  
“You seem to like this nickname a lot since you so often tease me with it.“ Theo noticed and grinned.  
“Maybe.“ Liam said with a grin of his own and then pulled Theo down to kiss him.

Their kiss was sweet and loving and when they parted, both smiled like the lovesick young men they were. “I love you.“ Liam told Theo.  
“I love you too.“ Theo said and kissed Liam’s nose. “More than the stars and the moon. You are my everything, Liam.“  
“You sure know how to make me feel special, Dore.“  
“You are special, baby.“ Theo kissed Liam’s lips this time, gently tugging at the lower lip with his teeth. Liam chuckled breathlessly and arched against him. His hands stroked across Theo’s broad back and he loved to feel the muscles shift under the skin and the shirt every time Theo moved ever so slightly. 

When they looked at each other again, Theo’s eyes glowed gold, but not with the unhidden lust and hunger as usual but with fondness. “You are the most amazing person in the whole wide world and I can’t believe you’re really my mate.” He whispered before he kissed Liam’s lips again and gently licked them. 

“I am yours as much as you are mine because no one else gets me like you. No one makes me feel like you do. You too are an amazing person, Theo Raeken.” Liam replied, eyes glowed red, and when Theo smiled at him, this one private smile he had reserved for only Liam, the happy and carefree one that made his eyes light up, his heart skipped a beat and he smiled back. 

Theo looked down and gently put his hand right over Liam’s heart. “When the ground opened again and I could crawl out, that was the first thing I heard. Your heartbeat. Not Hayden’s, not Mr. Douglas’, yours.” He suddenly said and Liam’s breath hitched in surprise. He reached up and laced his fingers with Theo’s above his heart. “Did it scare you?”  
“I spent my whole time in hell being scared, so yeah. But it also led me out and I knew where to go so I could crawl out. Since then I noticed your heartbeat over anybody else’s.”  
Liam kissed him gently. “I love you.” It was all he could say right now. He had no words for how happy Theo made him, how amazing it was to hear those words. So he stuck to the simple love confession but when he saw the way Theo’s eyes lit up, he knew his mate had understood him.

Theo curled next to him again, close as possible, and gently kissed Liam’s neck before he rested his head against Liam’s shoulder. They still had their fingers laced together and Liam stroked over the back of Theo’s hand with his thumb.  
“Have I ever thanked you for helping me break the whole werewolf news to Mason?” Liam asked thoughtfully. Theo hummed in amusement.   
“I don’t think so. But you know I only did this to go through with my scheme around that time?”  
“Hush and take the thanks. Without you, I probably would have never told him. So, thank you.”

“You’re sweet, puppy.” Theo kissed his forehead. “I love this about you. And I also love that you kept your childlike excitement, even though I said differently earlier that night. I am sorry about that too by the way.”  
“Stop apologizing. We both did things the other didn’t like today.” Liam stroked through Theo’s hair and snuggled closer to him.

“No matter how often we fight, there is no one else I’d rather be with. You are the love of my life, Theo, I want to be with your forever.” Liam muttered and Theo gently squeezed his hand.   
“I feel the same way about you, Liam, and I hope I can show you this every day.”  
“You do.” Liam told him. “In everything you do.”   
He meant every single word. Liam was well aware Theo loved him and he loved Theo just as much. They finally got together after years and he would keep it that way for the rest of their lives. They came such a long way and had so many amazing years ahead of them.

Liam sighed. “Beacon Hills, everything we’ve been through, feels like it happened in another life. Trashing my coach’s car, transferring to Beacon Hills, getting bitten and meeting you, me and Hayden being a couple, the Ghost Riders, the war. As if that happened to different people.”  
“I know what you mean. It’s crazy.” Theo agreed. “I like how it turned out. Especially that you are my boyfriend now.” He sounded proud at the end and Liam’s lips curved into a smile.  
“Imagine if we had gotten our shit together in high school and had dated there. Imagine how different it would have been.”  
“Different?” Theo asked. “I’m not sure it would have been that different. Sure, I would have been a lot happier, but the main events wouldn’t have been different, would they?”

“Uh uh.” Liam raised his head so he could look better at Theo. “Take prom for example. We would have gone there as a couple, not just as friends.”  
“We didn’t go to prom.” Theo reminded him. “Because someone had to land himself in the hospital.”  
“It wasn’t my fault the hunters came after me! But that saved me the humiliation of dancing so I guess that was something good out of the whole mess.”  
Theo laughed. “Liam, you can dance!”  
“I certainly can’t. Drunk me maybe, sober me is like a turtle on ice. Not made for dancing.”

Liam needed one look at his boyfriend’s face to know Theo got an idea. The chimera smirked and sat up before he leaned over Liam to change the song playing on his laptop to something nice and slow. He then pulled the curtain aside and left their fort before he looked back at Liam. “Come on, let’s dance.”  
“I will not dance with you now! This is too fucking cliché.”   
“First of, nobody’s here to judge. Secondly, we are hopelessly in love with each other and when it comes to the two of us we can be insanely cliché, so don’t make a fuss.”  
“I can’t dance.” Liam argued but still got out of the fort and stepped to Theo. “But of course you can, even when you’re sober. You’re good at almost everything, huh?”

Theo chuckled and pulled Liam closer before he put his hands on Liam’s hips. “I don’t plan on teaching you how to dance the tango. It’s just swaying back and forth, Alpha puppy.”  
“Easy for you to say.” Liam muttered. Theo naturally moved good in every situation. He was very gracefully and Liam was...not. He was more forceful, had gross sensory motor skills, and graceful wasn’t really something that Liam associated with himself. He still wrapped his arms around Theo’s neck and let his boyfriend guide his hips into swaying.

“You have no idea how you move sometimes, right? When you’re out on the lacrosse field for example. You play and then you make a great shot or manage to outrun your opponent and you get this beaming smile on your face and you just ooze self-confidence. When you’re in that state, you move so amazingly and, Liam, you look hot as fuck. Hotter than usually. And even more attractive than usual. It’s not my favorite look of you but it’s in the top five.”

“How can you say something and sound sexy and sweet at the same time?” Liam was actually amazed by this.  
Theo grinned. “It’s a special talent.” He kissed Liam’s cheek, then his jaw, then his neck. “I just worship everything about you.”   
He kissed Liam’s neck again and gently tugged at the skin with blunt teeth. Liam moaned softly and tilted his head to the side so Theo had even more space. The chimera used it to lick and kiss the skin for a while but then he pressed a kiss on Liam’s shirt, right where the mating bite was hidden, and his hands sneaked over Liam’s side and his ass and then slipped between their bodies to rub Liam’s groin. Liam moaned and pushed his hips into Theo’s grip. His mate used it to stroke him until Liam was fully hard and then he dropped to his knees. 

Liam looked down and gasped when Theo pulled his pajama pants down and right along with it his boxers. His cock sprang free, hard and leaking, and Theo’s eyes flashed. This time they had the full hungry and lustful glimmer inside them. Liam moaned again and bit his lower lip, never took his eyes away from the pretty picture in front of him. 

And then Theo engulfed Liam’s hard cock in his mouth and Liam’s moan turned into a gasp. Theo swallowed him inch by inch, tongue teased Liam’s length all along and licked the underside of his cock, trailed over the veins there, and within minutes Liam was reduced to a whimpering mess. He steadied himself with one hand on Theo’s shoulder, the other gripped Theo’s hair when the head of his cock hit the back of Theo’s throat. His mate was an absolute expert in this regard too and Liam could have come from the sight alone; Theo on his knees, lips wrapped around his aching cock. 

He raised his head slightly and looked at Liam with a mischievous glint in his eyes, then he hummed. It sent vibrations down Liam’s cock and he gasped again. Theo continued to tease him and used his tongue to it as well. “Fuck, your tongue should be forbidden.” Liam groaned and pressed his eyes shut. 

Theo hummed again and then he began bopping his head. Liam’s grip on his hair tightened and not long after Liam started to move his hips and fucked into Theo’s mouth. Theo groaned around Liam’s cock and eagerly continued to move his head. Liam’s other hand also darted to Theo’s hair and gripped it tightly. Theo groaned once more and sucked hard on Liam’s erection. Liam’s eyes flew open again and he looked down.

“You call me naughty little Alpha but I really need a nickname for you. When you do things like this...Oh, fuck...because you look gorgeous...My pretty sinful  Beta.” Liam gasped out and his grip tightened momentarily before he loosened it to not hurt Theo. “I’m going to cum, Theo...”

The chimera looked up at him with his intriguing green eyes and Liam’s heart sped up, more than it already did. Theo kept his eyes locked with Liam’s and then they flashed gold and he sucked hard again which was a point of no return for Liam. He moaned Theo’s name and spilled into Theo’s awaiting mouth. 

His heart hammered against his ribcage and he bit his lips while he watched Theo swallow his cum. When Theo pulled back and released his cock with an obscene sound, Liam reached out and ran his thumb over Theo’s lower lip. “Such talented lips and such a wicked tongue. I surely have the best mate.”  He smiled and leaned down to kiss Theo, licked into his mouth and tasted himself on Theo’s tongue. He moaned.   
They were breathing heavily when they pulled apart and Liam gentle nudged Theo towards the fort. 

“Undress and get your ass inside so I can fuck you.”  
Theo’s eyes flashed gold. “Yes, Alpha.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess it's safe to say Theo is hopelessly in love with his mate and insanely proud of his full shift♥ But as it happens in every other relationship, there are problems and it can’t always be cotton candy and roses. Theo is still relatively new to the whole feelings thing, especially feeling so deep for someone. And Liam is also very emotional. Not always the best combination. Most times it’s perfect, but sometimes it gets too much. Good thing they sorted it out. They need each other so much, I guess that chapter proved it once again.


	30. It's getting serious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Year is celebrated and we see the talk.

Liam had his head thrown back and his eyes closed while waves of pleasure rushed through him. His fingers tightened their grip on Theo’s hips and guided his lover on his cock while his other hand jerked Theo off. After he had been woken up by an amazing handjob, it had not taken long for the couple to roll around in their fort. Soon enough Liam had been on his back and Theo straddled him before he impaled himself on his Alpha’s hard cock.

Now Theo was riding him and Liam just held onto his hips to ground them both a little bit. It was a great way to start the day and when Liam opened his eyes and looked up at his boyfriend, he smirked. “Fuck, you look gorgeous, my pretty sinful Beta.” He praised him and reached up to run his fingers over Theo’s chest and his abs glistening with a fine layer of sweat. Theo looked down at him and his eyes blazed. He rocked his hips in an answer and they both moaned. Thanks to the dreamcatcher they could be as loud as possible, and dear god they were loud.

Even more now when both reached their climax. Theo spilled all over Liam’s hand and Liam filled his mate with his release which caused Theo to groan before he literally collapsed on top of Liam. Liam wrapped his arms around Theo and they both just basked in the afterglow, shielded from the outside world by the blanket fort surrounding them. 

“I love you.” Theo murmured after a while and Liam chuckled.   
“I love you too.” He replied and ran his fingers through Theo’s hair. “That was an awesome way to start the day.”   
Theo chuckled and rolled off Liam to curl next to him. They both needed a shower but right now they didn’t care. Theo snuggled closer to Liam and put his head on Liam’s chest and Liam wrapped one arm around his boyfriend’s waist.

“I couldn’t sleep and watched you, you looked so peaceful but also so very attractive.” Theo explained his actions. “And I was in the mood for riding you.”   
“Hm, you can ride me more often if you enjoy it that much.” Liam kissed his forehead gently and closed his eyes. It had been great to get woken up like this, but now he wanted just to curl up and cuddle with his mate.   
Theo put one arm over Liam’s stomach and snuggled closer, obviously having the same train of thoughts. 

******  
When Liam woke up again, he was almost on top of the still sleeping Theo. The chimera had rolled on his stomach, head pillowed on his crossed arms and an actual pillow, and face turned away from Liam. Liam was also on his stomach and his head had been pillowed on Theo’s shoulder blade, one leg tossed over his boyfriend’s hips and one arm tossed over his boyfriend’s back. It probably was a mystery to normal people how they could sleep like that but Liam always had been a weird sleeper which only increased after he had been bitten. And Theo, used to sleep in the cramped space of his truck, could also sleep in the weirdest positions. 

Liam yawned and slowly raised to stretch before he checked the time. His eyes widened when he realized it was almost eleven. He never slept that long. “Theo? Baby, wake up, it’s almost eleven o’clock.” He mumbled and rubbed his eyes.  
Theo grumbled and didn’t move. Liam gently shook his shoulder and Theo just frowned but still didn’t move from his position. Liam pawed at his back and then leaned over. “I’m going to take a hot, steamy shower, soap up my whole body and you really want to miss this?” He whispered into Theo’s ear and sucked on the earlobe. The twenty-two-year-old still didn’t move and Liam shrugged his shoulders and got up. He just had entered the bathroom when suddenly two strong arms wrapped around him from behind and he heard a growl. “Good Morning, puppy.” Theo grumbled happily and Liam laughed when he was pulled under the shower.

After the sex this morning, they now were in need of a refreshing shower and then got dressed to brace the day. Liam was usually an early bird but his body had obviously needed the sleep. He still wondered why the Betas let him and Theo sleep and when he finally met with his pack, he asked.

“We thought about waking you up but then we decided that you probably need the sleep. You both are always there for us and you looked so peaceful, we let you sleep. It’s not like we have anywhere to be.” Ever said with a shrug. 

“Mason and Corey called. They are on their way and soon will be here.” Nolan informed the Alpha couple and Liam nodded while he munched his cereal. It was December 31st, the new year would be here soon, and he could not wait to celebrate with his pack. And then they had a few days until the talk with Scott was happening. Liam grew anxious just by thinking about it. He decided to focus on celebrating the new year first, then he could worry about what was going to happen. 

To calm himself a little bit, Liam returned to his room after breakfast and quickly undressed before he shifted. Koda and Aka barked when their human friend suddenly grew fur and paws but soon jumped all over Liam and played with him. Theo found them soon after and smiled at the sight of his mate playing with the furry pack members. He took his phone from the desk and snapped a few pictures. Liam looked up when he saw the flash going off and he howled happily. 

_Come, play with us._

Theo chuckled but then he undressed and soon enough the black wolf joined the fun. The puppies were excited about having two large friends to play and play-wrestle with and growled in a fun and playful way, tried to win against Theo and Liam and tried to climb over them. 

Maya and Ever disturbed the playful animals when they appeared to walk the two dogs. The pack members mostly switched with this duty and today it was their day. Koda and Aka almost stumbled over their little paws in their haste to get out, pulled at the leashes, and barked, and the two girls laughed. “See you.” They said before they closed the door to Theo’s and Liam’s room. Now alone, the two wolves shared a look and Liam gently pushed his head against Theo’s, before he curled up in their blanket fort again. Theo joined him immediately, fondly butted his head against Liam’s, and put his head on Liam’s back while both wolves snoozed a little bit in their little world.

******  
Liam’s head jerked up when he heard a car pull into the driveway. He knew that sound and when he heard the footsteps of two persons getting out and walking closer to the house, he knew who had arrived. Being in his wolf form really gave him a better sense of hearing. 

He turned his head and pushed his nose against Theo’s head. The chimera blinked lazily but then raised his head and also listened before he got up and let Liam get on all fours as well. Liam yipped happily and rubbed his head against Theo’s once more, then the shifted couple left the room. 

Mason and Corey were greeted downstairs by Tim and Nolan. “Welcome. Did you had a good trip?” Nolan asked while they took off their scarves and jackets.  
“Yeah, it was great. Not much traffic so we didn’t take as long as aspected.” Mason answered. “Where are the others?”  
“Mike’s in his room, so is Sadie. Ever and Maya are walking the dogs and our Alpha couple is also upstairs.” Tim listed.  
Mason glanced up the stairs. “There was a time when my best friend greeted me at the door.” He joked but then caught glimpse of the light brown wolf standing on top of the stairs. He gasped. 

“Did you adopt a real wolf? Weren’t the pups enough? Wow, this one is quite big, don’t you think? Is he dangerous? Can I pet him? How did you get him?” Mason, being his true self, asked all kind of question. Nolan and Tim glanced up at their Alpha and Liam grumbled before he smoothly shifted back into his human form and stood up. “Relax, it’s only me.”

Mason stared at him. Corey’s jaw dropped. Tim and Nolan grinned. Mason made some complicated looking arm movements and opened his mouth but no sound came out. Mason’s movements turned bigger. And then he screeched.   
“You...and the wolf...Animal...It’s you...But...the wolf...How...What the hell?? LIAM EMERSON DUNBAR!”

“It’s called a full shift.” Theo had appeared and wrapped one arm around Liam’s waist. He held a boxer short for Liam in front of Liam’s groin. “Liam managed it, just like me. And you get dressed.” The last part had been for Liam and the Alpha grinned. “Will be down in a minute!” He called and let Theo drag him back into their room.

When he was finally dressed in boxer briefs, jeans, and hoodie, Liam raced down the stairs to really greet his friends, Theo hot on his tail. Corey laughed when he spotted them. “I’m sure you broke Mason for real this time.” He said and hugged Liam.  
Liam laughed. “I felt it was the best way to break the news to you.” He explained and after Corey Mason tackled him in a tight hug.   
“Shit, Liam, how did this happen? What happened?”  
“It just happened recently.” The four of them settled on the kitchen table after Theo had greeted Corey and Mason as well and Liam explained everything. When he was done, Mason and Corey gaped.

“This is unbelievable. I mean, I barely got over my excitement that my best friend became an Alpha werewolf but now he can shift into an actual wolf. And have you seen how great he looks, Corey? This is intense.”  
“I have seen it.” Corey confirmed. “It’s really insane. So much happened in such short amount of time if you take everything into account.”  
“We had this topic yesterday too. Everything happened in the span of half a year, this is hard to grasp. But we are here now and we are about to start a new year with a completely new pack, a new Alpha, and new challenges.” Theo said. he smiled at Liam and Liam smiled back.  
“It will be a great year.” Liam was sure of that one. “And it will be great when you finally move here. Can’t wait to have you around. When exactly are you moving?”

Corey and Mason looked at each other. “Actually...Now.” Corey said. “We just need to go back for one more time to get the moving van and all out stuff but technically we would settle in right now. If that’s okay with you?”

“Hold on.” Theo said. “You would move now? What about your classes?”

“After the break, we would have been lots of projects and we talked with our professors. They dismissed us earlier. So basically, after Winter break, we could start at SU when we manage to grab our things until then. I’m in contact with the moving company, it would work.” Mason now explained. “Unless you say we can’t move in already.”

“You are part of this pack, you always have a place here. It’s just surprising that you’re moving earlier.” Liam stated. Then he broke out into this huge grin, right when the rest of the core pack stepped into the kitchen. Corey squealed at Koda and Aka and he and Mason crouched down so the dogs could sniff them and get used to their scents. 

“You’re already moving in? That’s so cool!” Ever said with a bright smile. “Have you settled on a room yet?”  
“The room! I almost forgot! You need to choose a room!” Liam yelled and jumped to his feet. He more or less dragged Mason and Corey upstairs and latched into explanations of every free room they currently had. The rest of the pack followed a little bit slower.

“Are you even breathing?” Mason asked his best friend after a while and Liam stopped talking, looked him dead in the eye, took a deep breath, and continued rattling down various aspects.   
Corey laughed. “And you wondered where the puppy nickname comes from?”  
Liam just grinned at Corey and when they finally stopped in the last room, he looked expectantly at the couple. “So? Which one?”

“I’m not taking the room next to you! I really don’t need to hear you and Theo having sex.” Mason grimaced.  
“You don’t hear them.” Nolan said with a laugh. “Thanks to Ever.”  
“Huh?” The human frowned and Ever raised a new dreamcatcher she made since she knew another couple was moving in. “This dreamcatcher is enchanted. It keeps every sound inside the room locked inside and nobody hears a thing. You hear what’s going on outside, but nobody hears what you are doing in your room. Since that we have literally no idea when our Alphas are having hot, kinky sex.”  
Mason snorted. “I know Liam. In this regards, he’s plain. There isn’t much with kinky sex.”   
Theo let out a sound that sounded like a snort and a scoff in one. “Are you knowing the same Liam I know?” He asked Mason.  
Mason blinked at the first chimera, then at Liam who just smirked. “What?” He asked lamely. Nolan put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to say so much: Bite marks are a thing.”  
Mason squeaked and looked at Liam like his best friend had betrayed him or something. “When did this happen? A part of me wants details, another part is happy with being in the unknown.”  
Liam stepped behind Theo and wrapped his arm around his mate’s waist. “Mason, look at him. How am I suppose to resist him? And I have to state my claim.” He kissed Theo’s neck and leaned against his mate, eyes closed and a fond smile on his face. Theo looked at him and leaned his head against Liam’s for a short moment before he looked back at Mason and smirked his typical Theo smile. 

Mason shook his head. “I never have seen you that much in love ever before.”  
Liam opened his eyes again but stayed as close to Theo as he could. “I was never with Theo before.” He explained softly. The girls cooed behind him and he gave them an amused look.   
Corey tugged at Mason’s sleeve. “Mase, which room? Since the sound doesn’t travel and we have a dreamcatcher on our own, it doesn’t matter and I really like the one we’re currently standing in. The one before Theo’s former room.”  
“I like that one as well. The white and dark blue colors are pretty. Let’s take this one.” Mason said with a smile and kissed his boyfriend. Liam smiled happily. His best friend and Corey were finally here and they were moving in. This was going to be great. 

******  
“Don’t you think this is way too much meat?”  
Liam snorted and didn’t stop sorting the various meat pieces. They had chicken, beef, and pork. The pack had decided on meat fondue for dinner. Two fondues were already on the table in the dining room and Mason and Nolan helped Liam with the finishing touches. “Pack of wolves. Not really.”  
Mason nodded. “Right.” He said.   
“Living with a pack is so different than anything we are used from Beacon Hills, Mase.” Nolan told him. “It even affects us humans, you will see. I mean, you already felt the pack bond, and being constantly surrounded by the pack only makes this more prominent.”  
“I guess I’m always comparing it to the McCall pack. I’m sorry, Lee.” 

Liam shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s the pack we know and a part of this pack will always be influenced by Scott because I was his Beta but...things changed and this pack is totally different. Different characters and I’m not a True Alpha, to begin with. And yes, we all live together, so our pack bond naturally is stronger than to the old pack.”  
“Things changed, I know.” Mason smiled softly. “I remember when you told us about becoming an Alpha. How you defended your first Beta. Having your own pack was so far away and you always said you are still Scott’s Beta. Now you say you were his Beta.”  
Liam had not really noticed this but now he nodded. “Yeah.” He groaned. “This talk will be thrilling for sure and I really hope it ends well.”   
“It will don’t worry.” Mason told his best friend. “For now concentrate on celebrating the new year. It will be awesome.You can worry tomorrow again.”  
Liam smiled softly. “I’m the Alpha. I always worry.”  
“Liam is the best Alpha we could wish for. You will learn the longer you are around.” Sadie who stepped into the kitchen said and kissed Liam’s cheek.   
“He’s my best friend. I know what an awesome Alpha he is.” Mason corrected her and smiled at Liam. Liam smiled back. It meant a lot that the person that had been through everything with him, through his father’s abuse, his parent’s divorce, him getting bitten and the whole shit in Beacon Hills; a person that knew him like Mason did, said something like this about him. 

“Anybody else something to drink?” He asked and grabbed a few glasses. He poured orange juice into the glasses when Nolan and Mason said so. Out of the living room, he heard the chatter from Corey, Maya, and Ever, who either played or watched a video game. He wasn’t sure who was currently playing. Mike, Tim, and Theo were out in the skatepark again. 

“By the way, what happened to your fence?” Mason inquired when he accepted the glass from Liam.   
“I gave Tim and Ever driving lessons. They don’t know how to drive stick. Ever got confused while parking.”  
“Oh my god.” Mason laughed. “I’m sorry but you all are obviously fine and this is hilarious.”  
The others laughed. “It was funny after we got over the initial shock.” Sadie admitted. “Their faces were everything.”

Liam snickered and drank his juice but suddenly he gasped and slammed the glass down on the counter. Pain spread through his whole body, emanating from his left ribs. It felt white hot and it hurt real bad.   
“Liam, what’s wrong?” Mason asked and jumped to his side. Nolan appeared on his other side and both looked worried as hell.   
Sadie put a hand on his back. “Liam, breathe.”  
Liam doubled over in pain and only the counter kept him up. His ribs hurt like he had been in an accident and they were severely cracked. He slowly touched his ribcage and felt for his ribs. They all seemed completely healthy. And then it clicked.

“Theo. Theo broke his ribs. I feel his pain through the mating bond.” He whimpered. And it was that bad for him, how much pain Theo was in?   
Liam braced his forehead on his arm on the counter and tried to breathe through the pain. He needed to get a grip and get to his mate. Theo needed him. 

He pushed himself up and willed down the new wave of pain before he stumbled into the hallway. Right before he could make it fully to the entryway, the door opened and Mike and Tim helped Theo inside. Theo’s face was twisted in pain and they carefully led him into the living room where he collapsed on one of the couches.   
“He flew off the highest halfpipe. It was a stupid accident.” Mike filled in what happened at the skate park. Liam gritted his teeth and stumbled over to the couch. 

“You broke your ribs. I feel your pain through the mating bond.” He panted and grabbed Theo’s arm with both hands. He willed down another wave of pain and then the black veins started crawling up his arms. He had expected it to hurt but Liam had expected to be ready for it since he already felt it through their bond. Turned out what he felt was a numbed version of what Theo was feeling and Liam was happy he was an Alpha because taking Theo’s pain was hard. 

“Liam, stop!” Corey said after a while and pulled him back. “You took enough.”   
Liam fell back and the black veins disappeared again. Theo looked better, not as much in pain as before, but he was still pale and shaking when he now raised his hand to put it on Liam’s arm. “I’m sorry.” He said in a hoarse voice.   
“It’s okay.” Liam said and let go of Theo’s arm. But then he frowned when he looked down. “Are you bleeding?” There was blood on Theo’s arm where Liam had grabbed him.  
“No, but you are. You destroyed the glass when you slammed it on the counter and didn’t even notice it.” Sadie said and held out a towel for Liam. The young Alpha opened his hand and looked at his bloody palm where orange juices and pieces of glass were soiling the gash. He softly dabbed at the wound and tried to clean it. “It will heal.”

“Liam.” Theo reached out and closed his fingers around Liam’s wrist. “Let me see.”  
“It’s okay, nothing a little bit of healing won’t make better.”  
“It can only heal when you clean the wound.” Corey remarked. “Do you have a first aid kit?”  
“I’ll get it.” Tim said and ran to grab the kit and return. Corey took it and then sat down next to Liam to dutifully clean the wound from all slivers.  
”What about your ribs?” He asked Theo after he was done with Liam.   
Theo waved it off. “I need a few hours of healing, then I will be fine again.”  
He slowly raised his shirt and winced in pain when he moved. Liam loved to see his boyfriend’s abs anytime but now he grimaced at the bruise above Theo’s ribcage. “You really need to be more careful, baby.” He said softly and moved over to kiss Theo’s forehead. Theo just whined and hid his face against Liam’s neck.   
“I’m sorry for giving you pain.”  
“Shh.” Liam said. “It’s the mating bond. It had to happen sooner or later and I’m glad it’s just a broken bone, nothing worse.”  
“So, only slow and calm movements for Liam and Theo now.” Mike ordered and the others agreed. 

******  
Liam was woken up by someone shaking his shoulder softly. He blinked against the sleep in his eyes and Mason’s face turned from blurry to focused again. “Liam, hey. How are the two of you?” 

Theo and Liam had fallen asleep on the couch and the pack let them sleep. Sleep helped best with broken bones and gave the weres enough energy to heal. Theo was still tugged against Liam, safely nestled between Liam and the backrest of the couch, and only moved now when he heard the voices. “Hm? Liam? How are you?” He asked softly.   
“The Better question is, how are you?” Liam asked back. “Do you ribs still hurt?”  
Theo considered this and stroked over his ribcage. “They now hurt as if I have a very bad bruise there but they don’t feel broken anymore. Sensitive, but not broken.”  
Liam smiled. “Good.” He said and kissed his mate. Theo returned the kiss and Mason chuckled.   
“You two lovebirds, your pack is hungry.”

“Hungry? Oh fuck, the fondue!” Liam called out and jumped from the couch. Mason raised both hands.  
“Relax, everything is finished and just waiting. You may be the Alpha but you don’t have to do everything yourself.”

“Oh.” Liam said and Mason led them into the dining room where everyone was waiting.   
“You two.” Maya pointed at Liam and Theo. “You are our big brothers and you do a lot. You deserve to lay back every once in a while and let us do everything. Especially when you’re hurt. So sit down now and let us eat.”  
Liam and Theo looked at each other and both smiled. They sat down and so did everyone else. Soon enough the bowls with the meat were handed around and the fondue forks were placed into the fondue. 

It was a nice dinner, they laughed a lot and Mason and Corey shared some funny stories with the rest of the pack about their time at college. At one point, Theo put his hand over Liam’s on top of the table and drew circles on the back of Liam’s hand with his thumb. It was relaxing and made Liam smile.

******  
They all stood in the garden and counted down the last few seconds of the year. People in the gardens around them did the same. It was cold, their breaths were forming little clouds in the air, and they all were excited. Liam was basically buzzing. This year had held so many things, so many great things, and he ended it on a great note. With a pack of his own, with a mate he loved to the moon and beyond, with his best friend, everything was perfect. 

“10...9...8...7...6...5...” 

Theo pulled Lia,m closer to him and wrapped both arms around him.

“4...3...”

Liam smirked at him and Theo smirked back. 

“2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”

Theo and Liam kissed at the last seconds and while they all yelled and cheered and fireworks exploded left and right. Aka and Koda hovered in the open door to the garden and barked at the fireworks, too afraid to venture outside, but also too brave to hide completely inside. The pack laughed and hugged each other while Mason and Corey kissed each other and the Alpha couple started the new year with a kiss as well. Or several kisses, given that they clung to each other and their tongues played with each other.

When they finally parted, they had big smiles on their faces. “Happy New Year, baby!” Liam called out.   
“Happy New Year.” Theo replied and then they hugged their pack and wished everyone a Happy New Year before they settled to watch the fireworks explode in the sky. Theo had wrapped his arms around Liam from behind and Liam leaned against him. It was beautiful, there were red circles, blue stars, golden twisters, green showers, the whole sky was illuminated and Liam’s eye lit up with every firework. 

Suddenly Theo pulled Liam away from their pack and without them really noticing. Liam frowned. “Where are we going?”  
“We are going to do something I wanted to do for all those years.” Theo cryptically explained. Liam chuckled and eagerly followed his mate into the house and into the library. Theo closed the door behind them and locked it. When he looked at Liam, his glance held unhidden desire.   
“Every year I imagined to kiss you on New Year, every year I imagined how it would be to be buried inside you while fireworks explode outside, you know? Since this is our first New Year as a couple, I wanted to pay tribute to that.”   
Liam smirked and walked over to the desk before hopping on it. “And how do you think we’re going to do that?” 

His voice was challenging and Theo picked up on it. He was faster in front of Liam than the younger expected, grabbed Liam by the hips, and pulled him into a filthy kiss. 

Their clothes got discarded pretty fast after that and Theo had really thought of everything when he pulled the lube out of the upper desk drawer. He kissed Liam’s back and lifted his mate off the desk to put him on his own two feet. “Turn around and bend over.” 

Liam shivered at the order but followed immediately. He braced his hands on the desk and turned to face away from Theo. He could see the fireworks outside and was so lost in the exploding lights, he took in a sharp breath when two fingers pushed inside him.   
“Relax.” Theo told him softly and kissed his shoulder.   
“You don’t have to tell me. I’m never tensed around you, I was just surprised.” Liam answered and took a deep breath. He lost the stiffness in his back and Theo moved his fingers, soon added a third one, thoroughly preparing his boyfriend. 

Liam soon whimpered and pushed back against the fingers. It felt so good but he needed more than just a few fingers. “Theo, please...” He said and moved his hips back. But then he gasped again when Theo bend him further over the desk, more or less immobilizing him.

“I can’t stop thinking about this since you jumped me here. I told you I have fantasies about bending you over the table and fucking you.” The chimera said and withdrew his fingers. Liam whined at the loss. 

He smelled Theo’s arousal, the sharp and spicy scent mixed with his own, and Liam felt his fangs grew in retaliation. Fuck, he was so horny for his boyfriend and his cock leaked precum on the desk. His body was already so accustomed to sex with Theo, it didn’t take much for Liam to get hot and bothered. Either that or Theo was just so damn good at what he was doing. 

He felt Theo spread his ass cheeks and groaned when the head of Theo’s hard cock rubbed around his hole, slicked up with lube. “You know, the others will miss us soon.” He teased his mate breathlessly, and next moment threw his head back and howled when Theo sank into him. The fireworks outside swallowed his howl, but Liam wasn’t sure how long that would be possible. He knew them both, it would be loud. 

Theo thrust into him until he was completely inside Liam. And then he began to fuck the living daylight out of Liam. The nineteen-year-old moaned and gripped the edge of the desk so tightly he was afraid it would break under his grip. But Theo fucked him so incredibly good and he could just yell out his lust. 

The chimera gripped his hair and pulled him back. Liam gasped at the pull. It wasn’t too hurtful, they would never actually hurt each other, but it added to his arousal. “Am I allowed to touch myself?” He gasped.   
Theo hummed while he thought about it and his hips still slammed into Liam without any mercy. “No. Not tonight. I want you to come untouched, my naughty little Alpha.” He gave Liam’s ass a slap and Liam groaned before he clenched around Theo’s cock. Now both moaned and Theo thrust his hips harder. It hit a spot deep inside Liam that made him scream.

The fireworks outside were still exploding and Liam tried to use it as a distraction to not come on the spot. It was hard, Theo was making it almost impossible. Liam’s body shook with every hard thrust and his leaking cock rubbed against the desk. It was almost too much and Liam bit his lip to keep himself from climaxing. He raised a hand to wipe the blood from the bite away and groaned again when Theo changed his angle and pushed even deeper inside him. Only a few minutes into the new year and he was already losing his mind. 

Theo kissed and licked his neck and his pulse point and Liam bared his neck in submission. No one else he would submit to but his mate. And Theo cherished this by kissing his hot and sweat-slicked skin. It made Liam smile and next moment he screamed Theo’s name when Theo’s teeth pierced his skin. It didn’t leave a mating bite but it left a nice dark bite mark and Liam grew dizzy with lust and want. He blinked against the black spots dancing in front of his eyes and his claws scraped the edge of the desk while his whole body shook. 

He spilled his release all over the desk and collapsed on top of it. Theo needed a few more hard thrusts, then he filled Liam and the young Alpha gasped. He felt so full and his head swam with the feeling. Theo leaned his forehead between his shoulder blades and the couple enjoyed the afterglow of their intense orgasms. 

******  
Liam carefully pushed the door handle down with his elbow and maneuvred the tray with breakfast inside the room. He gently kicked the door closed again and smiled at the sight in front of him. Theo on his stomach, the blanket just covered his ass and partly his hips, delicious naked back on full display. Due to the smoke outside from all the firecrackers, they had decided to not open the window while they slept and to not run too hot, Theo had just slept in his pajama pants. A fact Liam welcomed very much when he now put the tray on the bed beside Theo and kissed his mate’s back. 

“Rise and shine, Dore.” He sang softly and Theo grumbled in his sleep but slowly returned to the land of the awake people. He blinked the sleep away and rubbed his eyes but then his nostrils flared when he smelled the coffee.   
“You made me breakfast in bed?”  
Liam laughed at Theo’s happy voice. “I thought it would be a great way to really start the new year. It’s gonna be a lazy day anyway, everybody will sleep long and we won’t do anything. So why not? Plus, you deserve it.”  
Theo smiled. “You are the best mate and the best Alpha in the whole wide world!” 

Liam chuckled and Theo sat up to grab the mug of freshly brewed coffee and sip a bit. Only then he leaned in an pressed his lips against Liam’s to give him a proper good morning kiss. “I love you.”  
“Hm, I love you too.”, Liam said and took his own cup of coffee to drink. He needed the caffeine as well. And then simply because it was tasty, he grabbed an orange slice and bit into it. ”Hm, sweet.”

Theo stared at him and Liam had no idea why in the first place. “What?” He asked with a laugh. His boyfriend said nothing but grabbed his chin and pulled him into a kiss which he ended with his tongue swiping over Liam’s lip.   
“True. It is sweet.” He agreed huskily and Liam shivered.   
“Fuck. Just the tone of your voice makes me...” He shivered again and Theo smirked when he obviously scented Liam’s arousal.   
“I can get my boyfriend hot and bothered in the new year as well. That’s a great start for a great year.” Theo shot Liam a proud and satisfied smile. Liam just rolled his eyes and pulled him into a kiss. If the breakfast got a little bit forgotten nobody had to know...

******  
A cold breeze was blowing over the overlook Liam and Scott had decided on. It was relatively halfway for them both since Scott and the others had been in Washington to meet with Stiles. Liam liked the current weather, It was dry but cold and so it helped him cool down a bit and calm his nerves. 

He still exhaled a shaky breath and Theo rubbed his triceps. “Relax. He will be proud of you.” He reassured Liam and the nineteen-year-old smiled weakly.   
“Thanks, T.”  
“Anytime.” Theo kissed his temple.   
“You’re Scott’s first bitten Beta. He loves you like a little brother from what I heard from your stories. It will be fine.” Isaac tried to make Liam feel better too.  
Liam grimaced. “But I also know how it is when Scott is angry at you.”

“You will find out what exactly he is any minute now. They are coming.” Maya had spotted the cars driving into the parking lot. The two packs were the only ones there at this rough day and that meant nobody could overhear their conversation, which was good. 

Stiles’ jeep was the first to park and Stiles almost fell out of the driver’s side. Good to know some things never changed. Liam chuckled softly. Scott was the next one from the passenger seat, Malia followed from the back seat. Lydia’s car was the next and she had brought Derek, Jordan, and Alec with her. 

Liam could not help but smile. He had missed his old pack and it was good to see them again. He went over and Scott literally beamed at him like the puppy he still was at heart. Liam and he hugged tightly. “Missed you so much. Good to see you again.” Scott muttered and Liam chuckled.   
“Yeah. Missed you too.” His heart was beating wildly and Scott picked on it. He gave Liam a worried look when they parted. “Are you okay?”  
“Excited.” Liam said and it was absolutely no lie. “Anxious.”  
“Aw, is the Baby Beta excited to see us. Come here!” Stiles said loudly and pulled Liam into a hug. Liam rolled his eyes at the nickname but laughed and hugged him back. Lydia got a warm hug too and kissed his cheek and then he hugged the rest of Scott’s pack. 

Mason, Corey, and Nolan hugged every member of the McCall pack too, even though the air between Nolan and Alec still seemed a bit tense. Theo kept his distance. He was just an ally and could really not see himself hugging anyone of them, Liam knew that. He still took Theo’s arm and pulled him right next to himself, so the Alpha pack stood shoulder to shoulder in front of their new pack.

But before Liam could introduce his new pack, Isaac was spotted by no other than Stiles. “You!”  
“Me.” Isaac said without batting an eye. “Missed me, Stilinski?”  
“What are you doing here, you scarf wearing french baguette?” Stiles asked and narrowed his eyes. “Are you part of Liam’s sudden new pack too?”  
“I’m kind of an advisor, an affiliate. I travel too much to be an actual part of the pack. But I do live in Seattle too.” Isaac said and then he actually smiled softly, especially at Derek. “It’s good to see you all again.”  
“It’s good to see you too.”, Derek replied and smiled back.

“Speaking of pack, good prompt!” Liam called out. “Guys, Scott and the others, I’d like you to meet my new pack. Those are Maya and Ever, the blonde over there is Sadie. Those two are Mike and Tim. And the rest, well, you know the rest. Nolan, Corey, Mason, Theo.” Liam introduced everyone and his Betas smiled and waved. “I told them about you, showed them pictures so they kind of know you.” He then told his old pack and rubbed his neck. Theo chuckled and stepped behind him to put his hands on his shoulders and massage them gently. 

“There are others as well, the pack is quite large, but this is the core pack.” he added to Liam's introduction.    
“Others? How many others are there?” Malia asked.  
“A lot more. The Morning Dew Pack is large like Theo said.” Mason replied.  
Derek made a surprised face. “You belong to the Morning Dew Pack?”  
Stiles looked at him. “Have you ever met them?”   
Derek shook his head. “Not met but I’ve heard of them. Their philosophy is quite unique.”  
Liam smiled and nodded. “Working with the wolf as a partner? Yeah, it is but it so very helpful.” He confirmed.

“You found a new way to cope better with your wolf? That’s great!” Scott praised with a happy smile.   
“He is great at working with his wolf. The two of them are really a dream team.” Theo raved and Liam smiled happily, especially when his mate pulled him back but still kept his hands on Liam’s shoulders.  
Alec watched them curiously. “You two are really a thing? Like for real? No joke?”  
“Do they look like a joke to you?” Corey asked with a chuckle.   
“I’m just curious.” Alec said and Liam knew he was. Alec had always been curious.   
“We are true, we are real, we are in love.” He tilted his head and looked at Theo. “And I got the greatest mate of all the mates.” Said it and kissed his boyfriend. 

“Whoa, you are mated??”

Liam tensed and turned his head back to the old pack who all watched him completely speechless. “Uhm, yeah?” He said, not sure where the problem was.   
Lydia voiced what they were obviously thinking. “It’s just...Liam, you’re so young, sweetie, and so is Theo.”  
“So what? I know I will forever be in love with Theo and can’t wait to spend my life with him.”  
“And if you change your mind? You’re nineteen and twenty-two. I mean, I hope you get happy, but from a reasonable point of view, this is too young for such a far-reaching decision.” Jordan, the voice of reason, said.   
“Liam and I love each other more than words can ever describe and we will never regret that we mated.” Theo stated calmly but his grip tightened around Liam’s shoulders and Liam raised his hand to put them over Theo’s.   
“Being mated is the most incredible experience I ever made.” He said happily. “Don’t worry, guys, everything is and will be fine.”   
“They are so cute as a couple, you should see them.” Ever said and the core pack laughed.   
“Even when they fight, they are passionate and still find their way to each other. Recently proven.” Tim added. 

“Why didn’t you tell us? We knew you were together, why didn’t you tell us you were mated?” Scott asked quite confused and Liam looked at him, eyes wide.   
He tried to find a better way to do it but right now going for it was the way. And so he screwed up his courage. “Because there are quite some things I didn’t tell you in the last few months.”

He took a deep breath and looked at his Betas. They all smiled supportively, Mason gave him a thumbs up, and Theo squeezed his shoulders. They were there. They had his back. When he looked back at Scott, he took another deep breath. 

“This pack here, the Morning Dew Pack...” He locked his eyes with Scott’s and flashed them red. “I’m their Alpha. And I really wanted to tell you face-to-face, hence keeping it a secret for so long.”

To say they all gasped would be an understatement. They stared at Liam as if he just turned into a pink unicorn with rainbows flying behind him. Liam himself felt the weight lifted from his shoulders and for a moment he just felt light and happy. But then he realized how they all stared at him and he grew anxious again.

“I didn’t kill anybody in case you are worried about that one. I got chosen to be the next Alpha by the former Alpha. Byron is still a valid member of my pack and head of the council we founded.” He was babbling but he needed to say something to fill the silence.

Stiles barked out a laugh. “Look at that! The Baby Beta became an Alpha!”  
Theo growled. “He hates that nickname, don’t you know?”  
“Well, he is the Baby Beta!”  
“He was!” Sadie interjected and Stiles gave her a flat look. 

Liam, however, focused on Scott who still gaped at him. “Say something. Please!” He almost begged. “I really thought you were proud of me. I mean, your first bitten Beta became an Alpha.”

Scott struggled a bit to find his words in the beginning. “I am proud! But I’m also surprised. Liam, you could have told me this when it happened. Why didn’t you?”

“Because I was afraid you would think I killed someone!” Liam defended himself. “I wanted to look into your eyes and tell you what happened, not tell you over text or over the phone. And you barely had time, so it got longer and longer and now we’re here.”

Scott sighed. “Okay, I understand that. Thank you for being that considerate. But, Liam, I’m also worried. Being an Alpha is a lot to handle and, like Lydia said, you are still so young.”  
Liam frowned. “You were younger than me when you became an Alpha.”   
“And I know how hard it sometimes was.”  
“Besides, Scott is a True Alpha.” Stiles backed his best friend up which prompted Mason to reply: “And Liam is an Alpha by ritual. Are we comparing now which kind of Alpha is better?”

Liam meanwhile still watched Scott. “Scott, I appreciate that you care about me, but this is not something that happened recently, you know? I am an Alpha for over six months now and everything you see here, this awesome pack behind me, stemmed from that.” He made a hand movement that encompassed his Betas. “Every member of this pack joined willingly and after they were asked by me and over the last half a year, we became the pack that is currently standing in front of you. It wasn’t easy, we had to fight for control, get over our fears, learn how to cope with freshly bitten werewolves, but we managed. And now we have Maya who is fast and agile. Sadie, the strongest Beta of the pack. Ever, our strong and powerful witch who never gives up. Mike, cunning and quick-witted. And Tim, who is loyal to the core and will always fight for his friends. We have the best consultant with Corey, the voice of reason. A great emissary in training, Mason. A hunter with a very accurate aim, Nolan. And, of course, we have the Alpha’s mate, my first Beta, and the so-called Second Alpha, Theo. My chimera. Together we’re quite the pack, not to mention every other pack member at the lake.”

Alec looked at Nolan. “You said you would never touch a crossbow again!”  
“I did it to protect my pack.”  
“And Scot’s pack wasn’t your pack?”  
“No. I was an ally, just like Theo, but that is okay. Liam asked me and I joined him.”

Corey spoke up. “And that is the point. We all joined Liam’s pack willingly when he asked. We were not thrown together because of the circumstances or because we had the misfortune of living in a town where all the crazy stuff happens. We had a choice and that makes us different than your pack. This is okay, that’s not us bashing your pack, please don’t see it like that. The dynamic is just different because we are not teenagers but young adults. You can’t compare what you’ve been through already and what we already experienced. And, Scott, Liam is a great Alpha. He makes everyone feel included and he really makes you proud.” 

“I know Liam is a good leader but....”  
“But you still see me as Baby Beta and think I’m not capable of leading a pack on my own.” Liam stated dryly.   
“I think what Scott is trying to say is, that leading a pack is easy when everything is quiet but what happens when dangers arise?” Jordan asked.  
“Man, we already faced dangers. Wendigos, a rogue Alpha, freshly bitten and stubborn wolves, Tim’s mom.” Maya listed.  
“Yeah. Even to the last bit but also: Ey!” Tim called out. 

“I am not the fourteen-year-old boy you bit back then, Scott!” Liam claimed. “I am nineteen. I know what I’m doing. It’s too late now anyway, I won’t tell Byron to take back his Alpha spark. I didn’t plan any of this; I didn’t plan on becoming an Alpha on this weekend, I didn’t plan of gathering a pack; but it happened and here we are now and I love it. I love my family, I love how the last year ended and this began. And I really, really, hoped you would be proud of me.” Liam shook his head in disappointment. “Guess I was wrong.”

“To be fair, your track record with good decisions isn’t the best.” Maya mumbled and Theo growled.   
“He is not a stupid little boy anymore!”  
“Says who? You? I think you’re biased.” She snarled back and the two growled at each other, even went so far to take a step closer to each other. Scott and Liam stepped between their fighting partners.  
“Leave it.” Liam said. “And let’s go. I said what I wanted to say. We’re leaving now.” He ordered. They didn’t need a fight between the two packs and he didn’t need Malia to punch Theo again.

His pack gathered in their cars and Liam looked back at Scott one last time. “I guess this isn’t how either of us wanted this to go but it’s better to leave now, I think. Maybe we can talk this out sometime later.”   
And he got in the passenger seat of the truck and slammed the door shut. The car ignitions started and the cars rolled out of the parking lot. 

They drove in silence for a while, then Liam suddenly spoke up. “Pull over!”  
Theo looked at him then immediately pulled from the highway and stopped the car. Liam hastily left the car and took some breaths. His heart was racing and he heard the blood rush in his ears. 

“Lee?” Mason and Theo had followed him outside and now wanted to check on him.  
Liam spun around to face them. “I thought he would be proud of me! Why isn't he proud of me?” He asked and his voice broke at the end. Tears stung in his eyes.   
“He is proud of you, he just needs to overcome the shock. This was probably all a little bit too much.” Mason tried to reason with Liam and explain. “He loves you like a little brother, he will come around. And see it that way, you told him everything now. It’s out in the open, don’t you feel better?”  
“He didn’t tell him everything. He didn’t tell him he could fully shift.” Theo interjected and Mason gave him an exasperated look.  
“What is wrong with you? I’m trying to build him up again!”  
“I can’t lie to Liam and he knows it. But I also think Scott will come around. And even if he doesn’t, the pack stands with what we said: We have your back. Screw the rest of the world, we have each other.”

Liam rubbed his forehead. This was all too much right now. The anxiety was gone and got now replaced with exhaustion. He let out a choked sob. “I really hoped it would go better though.” 

“When were things ever easy for us?” Theo asked and Liam tried a weak smile but failed. He was skeptical this all would work out fine but he couldn’t turn back time now. It was out and it did feel good that he finally had been honest with his old couple. Now he could really start a new year and make new experiences. He couldn’t do anything else at the moment anyway.

“Thanks, guys. Now, we need to get home. It’s still a long way to drive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wolfy cuddles ♥ And Morey :D  
> I really hope you liked the meeting of the packs. I had several versions going on in my head but I like how the final version turned out. I'm curious what you have to say about it.


	31. Make it work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A relationship is work and needs some good communication skills. Liam and Theo are about to experience how important communication really is.

“If you crawl in there, that’s a secret.“, Liam told Mason and pointed at a corner on the tv screen. Mason and Liam were playing Tomb Raider in the living room, or rather Mason played and Liam told him where to go. Liam basically knew the Tomb Raider games by heart. Mason followed his instructions and gathered the golden secret with a triumphant cry.

Mike and Theo entered the room and the matching smiles they wore told Liam they had done something. Mike waved his tablet and showed Theo something and the chimera laughed. “What did you do? Do I need a drink for that?“ Liam asked suspiciously.  
Their smiles turned even wider if this was possible. “You don‘t need anything but you have to do something!“ Theo explained. “Remember our bet with your middle name? I won and you said I get anything I want from you. I’m cashing in my win now.“  
“Oh? I’m curious. You got me all ears.“ Liam said with a chuckle.  
“We are going to tell you something and – here comes my wish – you are not allowed to be mad about it or angry and you are not allowed to say No. You just have to say Yes and accept.“  
Liam narrowed his eyes. What kind of bullshit did they plan that they needed those conditions? And it was so vague, like hell Liam would accept. “No way! I have no idea what I’m supposed to say Yes to.“  
“You said I get anything from you!“ Theo argued stubbornly and Liam growled lowly. He had said that and not it came back to bite him in the ass.  
“Fine! I won’t be mad or angry about whatever it is that you planned.“  
“Promise it!“  
Liam raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? Okay, I promise I won’t get mad at your plan.“

Theo and Mike looked satisfied by that. They shared a grin. “We two are going to take part in a seven days long guided tour in the wilderness of Alaska.“  
The announcement made Liam laugh. “Yeah, good joke. You both can’t stand snow.“  
“It’s not a joke. Here, look at the pictures, don’t they look cool?“ Mike showed Liam his tablet and the pictures on the webpage indeed looked cool but Liam frowned.  
“You are serious? That’s what you’re using your wish for? For such a stupid tour?“  
“You said you wouldn’t be mad. You promised! You are not allowed to say anything bad!“  
“That was before I realized you two lost your fucking minds.“  
“”Liam, you promised!“ Mike and Theo said at the same time and the Alpha narrowed his eyes at them.

“Okay, so you would use your wish just because you would like to make such a tour?“ He asked again, maybe he just misunderstood.  
“We would not like to make this tour, we are going to make this tour. Monday morning we fly to Alaska.“

Liam was really proud of himself that his face didn’t show how completely baffled he was. He just blinked while he internally screamed. Monday. In three fucking days.  
"You already booked this tour?“ He asked slowly and swallowed a growl last minute when both nodded. They were just kidding, right? This was all a joke everybody was in. A prank played on him by his pack.  
But the way Theo looked at him made Liam realized that this was really true, it was really happening. He blinked. And then he just got up and left the room.  
“Liam!“ Theo called after him.  
“Oh man.“ Mason said., “He will make you pay for this!“  
“He promised not to be angry!“  
“He will make you pay in ways you are not even imagining now.“

******  
The mood between Theo and Liam was tense. They were sleeping in the same bed, they were not really fighting, but they were not peaceful either. The hugs and kisses they had on the day Theo told him about his little trip had been the last. The Betas felt the tension as well and tiptoed around. They were happy about their friends going on such an adventure but they were also worried about their Alphas. Everyone waited for the boom, the yelling and the door slamming. Sadie had a perfect description of the current situation:  
“It’s like gasoline is everywhere and we all wait for the burning match to fall that will set everything on fire.“  
Except, the fire never came.

Liam held his distance to Theo and when Theo cornered him about it and reminded him of his promise, Liam willed down his emotions enough to stay relatively calm.  
“I’m not mad. I am not necessarily excited about the aspect of my mate being in the Alaskan wilderness or that my mate will be gone for seven days straight, but I’m not mad.“ He stated and then left Theo standing there.

Monday rolled around and they were on their way to the airport. Not the normal airport, that would have been too easy. No, their flight was leaving from a smaller airport or rather just a large hall. Liam snorted when it came in sight and Theo glanced at him before he returned his attention back on the road and parked his car soon. Theo had his pride too and they both were peeved with each other’s antics. The chimera stayed silent and just pulled the keys out oft he ignition before he dropped them unceremonially into Liam’s palm.

When they stepped into the big hall, Liam stayed back. The hall itself was spare. Three counters, only divided by black tow ropes and each with a sign above to tell people where they had to check in for which flight, two big blue doors led out to the planes, on the sides were black metal chairs fixed on the ground, and in the corner stood a cheap vending machine for coffee. According to the signs, Theo and Mike had to check in at counter C and they now bid goodbye to the pack. 

“Take a lot of pictures, okay?“ Liam asked Mike when it was his turn to hug his Beta.  
Mike smiled softly and nodded before he returned Liam‘s hug. “I make sure he comes home to you in one piece.“ He whispered.   
Liam just nodded. “Be careful!“ He instructed and when Mike nodded and stepped away from him, Theo slowly stepped closer.

The couple looked at each other and Theo played with the strap of his bag. “You promised you would not be mad.“ He said again.  
“I said I won‘t be mad at what you were doing. I’m not mad you’re going on this trip. What I’m mad at is that you somehow felt the need to trick me. You used your wish for something so stupid and made me promise I wouldn’t say anything negative about it. That I wouldn’t say No. As if I would have said No if you had told me you wanted to do it. You don’t need to ask me if you want to do anything. You could have told me. But you tricked me instead and I feel cheated. Cheated of the chance to talk about this with you, cheated of being a supportive boyfriend. And that‘s what I’m mad about. Because you knew full well I wouldn’t be too thrilled about the whole ordeal and you used this trick to stifle any talk about it right from the start. I feel manipulated and I thought those times were over.“  
The flight was called up and Liam shrugged. “Have a good flight, I guess. Stay safe and have fun.“ He **wanted** Theo to have fun. Still, he looked at Theo, a lost look on his face.   
Liam had no idea what else to say or how to act. There were hurt feelings and pride and before he could say or do anything he regretted, Liam simply turned around and walked out of the hall, Theo’s soft _Liam_ behind him ignoring. He walked out and straight to the truck and got into the driver’s seat where he gripped the steering wheel to stop himself from storming back in. His wolf whined inside him and Liam could relate to his animal more than ever.

The passenger door opened and Mason slipped inside. He said nothing and just sat next to Liam; the two friends stared ahead.  
“What if he doesn’t come back?“  
“We’re talking about Theo here. The first chimera. He will manage.“  
“No. What if he doesn’t come back _to me_?“  
Mason sighed. “Liam, that’s Theo. Mr.To-hell-and-back and yet he has the biggest heart eyes everytime he looks at you. That guy is smitten by you and he loves you so, so much. In seven days, you two will reunite and just kiss as if nothing ever happened. I know you both and I see how much you both love and adore each other.”  
“It’s strange. We are not really fighting but there is something going on. And we both know it.”  
“You have a very strange relationship but it works for you and what would be a point of no return for other couples is for you just some time to breathe and then get back together.”

Liam’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket.

[from Theo]  
**I hate to leave the state without us really making up. I am sorry for making you feel this way, that wasn’t my intention at all.**

[from Theo]  
**The plane is about to start, I have to turn my phone off now, but I wanted to let you know.**

Liam smiled weakly and bit his lip. He didn’t reply because he had no idea what to say. His mind and his heart were confused right now. He was angry, he was sad, he missed Theo, he was mad, he was worried, he was everything at once and it made him restless. Luckily the pack returned and got into the car so Liam could focus on driving out of the parking lot and away from the airport. It felt like leaving a part of himself behind and when he looked in the rearview mirror he saw a plane ascending into the sky and he somehow knew this was where Theo was currently in. He swallowed. 

“Liam?“ Tim asked softly from behind and the Beta slowly moved closer to Liam’s seat. “Do you need a hug?“  
“I can drive too. If you want to sit back.“ Corey offered and Liam shook his head.  
“Theo‘s truck. Nobody but me drives this baby. He kills me if something happens to that thing. It also distracts me.“ He confessed and the Betas in his car, namely Tim, Corey, Mason, and Ever winced in sympathy.  
“He will be okay.“ Ever said and moved her fingers so two flaming hearts appeared in the air. They danced around each other and finally merged together before they disappeared. “Your soulmate will return to you without a scratch.“  
“Hm.“ Liam said.

He knew they all wanted him to feel better but nothing could really help him with this. He was worried about Theo, he hated the tense mood between them, and he was also afraid what a week without his anchor would do to him. Theo was the strong one, the independent one, and Liam wasn’t sure he would manage to pull off a week without Theo without any problems. Not with his current mood and emotional state.  
So when they finally arrived at their home, Liam went into his room and crawled into bed. He inhaled Theo’s scent. “You’re such an idiot. Go on an adventure but not like this!“ He told Theo’s pillow and groaned. It would probably be easier if Liam was angry at Theo for pulling the stunt he pulled but Liam wasn’t angry. He was lost, he was mad, he was alone.

He heard scratching at the door and got up to open it. Aka and Koda pounced into the room and Aka sniffed around before he sat down in the middle of the room and whined. “I know,“ Liam told the grey puppy and picked him up to press him to his chest. “I miss him too.“  
Aka whined again and pressed close to Liam. Liam gently petted him and moved back to the bed where he placed Aka down and then Koda as well. Koda pressed close to Aka and consoled him over his missing person and Liam, who felt cold as always in situations like this, walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out one of Theo’s favorite hoodies. It was navy blue with white hoodie strings and Liam loved the hoodie so much because it was comfortable, it was cozy, and because Theo loved the hoodie so much, he wore it quite often and it smelled like him. Liam inhaled the sandalwood scent after he pulled the clothing item over his head and when he crawled on the bed again. Aka sniffed the hoodie and decided this was the best solution for now. He curled up close to Liam and Liam grabbed the remote from the tv to flip it on while Koda curled on his other side, also to consoled him. Liam switched through the channels and when the first Indiana Jones movie just started, he settled on watching this.

The movie was almost finished when a soft knock on the door happened and Corey slowly opened the door to peek inside. “Hey, I wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?“ He smiled at the dogs draped over Liam.  
“Cold and lonely but those two are keeping me company.“ Liam smiled softly and scratched the dogs behind their ears. They barked happily. “Aka misses his person too.“  
Aka whimpered on cue and when Corey stepped to the bed, he petted the grey one softly. “Poor little thing.” He looked at Liam.

“If you need us, you can come and talk to us, you know?“  
“I know. I don’t plan on hiding away for the whole week, today is just hard.“  
“Because it is the first day without him.“ Corey nodded in understanding. “Mason suggested getting completely trashed and making stupid decisions but I’m not sure this will help you.“ He laughed and Liam had to laugh too.  
“Probably not.“  
They smiled at each other and Corey settled next to Liam to watch the movies with him. After the first one, the second one started and so it went on with all movies.

It was already getting dark outside when Liam’s phone suddenly started ringing and he pulled it out of his pocket. Theo’s name flashed on the screen. “It’s him!“ Liam exclaimed and Corey got up from the bed. “If you need us, we are there.“ He said and left the room while he took Aka and Koda with him.

Liam accepted the call the moment the door closed again. “Theo!“  
“It took me ages to find a place with a decent connection that doesn’t break down every minute! Can you hear me?“  
“Yes, I hear you!“ A small smile spread across his face. To hear Theo’s voice was soothing to his soul.  
“Good. Okay, let me start by saying I am sorry. I never, not even for one second, imagined you could feel manipulated. My train of thoughts was more along: If we tell him the facts, he won’t become too worried because there is nothing he can change about it. Which isn’t that much better, now that I hear it spoken out loud.“  
“I was going to say. No, not really.“ Liam agreed with that. “But do you really feel like you have to ask for permission? Really, Theo?“  
“No, that’s the point! I don‘t! But I know you would be worried and…I was wrong, Liam. So very wrong!“  
“You were. But, Theo, where did that come from? Do you really view me as a tyrant who you have to ask for allowance to go and have fun, do something you like?“  
“No! Absolutely not. You are my Alpha, my mate, and I know you worry. About all of us. My train of thoughts was less that you would not allow it but say No in a way that you would worry too much. Liam, I know I don’t have to ask you for permission. You get what I’m saying? Does that make sense? Fuck, Liam, I am usually very good with words but when it comes to you, I rarely find them.“

A proud smirk about the fact that he made the usual composed and eloquent Theo lose his footing curled around Liam’s lips. “I get what you’re saying. If we had talked to each other from the start, this whole shitshow wouldn’t have happened.“  
“Yeah.“ Theo agreed.

They fell silent and despite the tone of their conversation being a bit lighter now, there was still a strange sense of distance. Liam decided to make the next step. Theo had called him, not it was his turn. “Did you enjoy the flight? Met any sled dogs yet? And how’s the weather?“  
“The flight was okay. A bit cramped compared to the big planes but manageable. And yes we have. They are very energetic and playful, it will be fun to see them run in the snow. One of them is almost the same color as your wolf. Your wolf is a bit lighter. His name is Mocca.“  
“Sounds nice. I hope you have fun. You know I do, right?“  
“Yeah, Liam, I know you want us to have fun.“ Theo confirmed.

Again they fell silent before Theo let out a shaky breath. “It’s fucking cold here.“  
Liam snickered. “You traveled to Alaska, honey.“  
“I’m aware of that, Mr. Dunbar.“  
“Mr. Dunbar? Kinky!“ It had slipped out. They were currently in this weird state between fight and making up and the easy banter had slipped out. Because Liam knew he longed for it, for his boyfriend to tease back and it would mean they were going to get over this.  
“Well, you know my preferences. I am absolutely Liam-sexual.“

Liam smiled softly. That was his Theo. The one who teased him back, not the one who made him feel tricked.  
The silence grew between them again until Theo suddenly spoke again.  
“Liam?“  
“Yeah?“  
“Are we okay?“  
They would only be completely okay again when Theo was back by his side but for now, this was the best they could get.  
“Just come home safe, okay?“ Liam told him. “I need you _.“ I love you and I’m not mad at you anymore._  
“I promise.“ Theo said and his tone told Liam Theo had gotten the message. “We both will be safe. Mike will take a lot of pictures.“  
“Good.“ Liam said satisfied. He heard Theo shiver so hard his teeth clattered against each other. “Crawl under a blanket and warm yourself up.“ The young Alpha said fondly.  
“Okay, I will contact you once I arrived at the next spot with a good connection, okay?“  
“Okay.“  
“Good Night, Liam.“  
“Good Night, Theo.“

They hung up and Liam looked at his phone for a moment before he raised his head. When he caught his reflection in the mirror, he had a soft smile on his face. The talk had made him feel lighter, better again, and he felt happier. Until the moment he could wrap his arms around Theo again, he would still feel like a part of him was missing, but for now, they were on a good way.

He stretched and got up to go to the bathroom and take a shower before he brushed his teeth. When he stepped out of the shower cubicle however and made his way into the room again to grab his nightwear, he saw Theo’s hoodie on the bed and got struck by an idea. Liam kind of felt it was his right after Theo pulled that stunt and he could tease him a bit. And so Liam grabbed his phone.

He snapped a selfie of himself in front of the bed and sent it to Theo with the words “Good Night”. Then he took a picture of his naked chest where water droplets were still sparkling. And then Liam raised his phone a little bit to catch his face at some angle but still show off part of his body, namely his wet chest. He went for a sly smirk while he took the photo and then took another picture of him pulling his towel lower, enough to tease Theo with what was hiding underneath and expose the V of his hips. The last picture was him after he discarded the towel altogether and cupped his dick. He grinned when he sent the pictures. That would be fun and he was curious about Theo’s reaction. With that in mind, Liam finally dried off and changed into his pajamas before he climbed into bed. Falling asleep was harder than expected and he tossed and turned until he finally grabbed Theo’s hoodie and buried his nose in it. With his anchor’s scent, he finally managed to fall asleep.

******  
Waking up without Theo was not something Liam liked. His wolf growled inside his chest and Liam himself felt a bit restless. He knew mates could last a week without each and yet it wasn’t the most pleasant feeling and he could do without it. He knew an essential part of him was missing.  
But despite the feeling of missing his other half, Liam felt better than yesterday. The talk with Theo really helped and he knew they were on their way to fully be okay again.

When he entered the kitchen, his pack immediately perked up. “How are you feeling? Do you want to scream? Want to cry? Need a hug?“ All questions were asked at once and Liam raised his hands with a laugh. “Guys, I’m okay. Not completely fine, since Theo isn’t here, but we talked last night and we manage. It’s good.“  
He nodded firmly and put some pancakes Ever made on his plate before he sat down at the table to eat. “Really, stop giving me those looks. It’s just a week, I can last that. What are the plans for today?“  
“Ever, Mason, and I go on a hike on the outskirts of town. Want to come with us?“ Maya invited him.  
Liam shook his head “I’ll pass but thanks.“  
“Corey, Nolan, and I are going to a go-kart track. You can come with us.“ Tim now said.  
„Thank you but I’ll stay here. I’m fine and will probably take the dogs for a long walk and then try to teach them some tricks. I won’t freak out just because Theo isn’t around. I can be alone, you know?“ Liam looked at his Betas and smiled. “I am happy you care so much about me, but I can handle it.” 

And true to his words Liam could be alone. He actually had no problem with it. Sure, he missed Theo like crazy, but Liam was able to keep himself entertained and occupied, thank you very much. He took the dogs on a long run through the woods where they chased each other, hunted down several sticks and carried them proudly before finding yet another, even better, stick. And when they returned to the pack house, Liam played fetch with them in the garden. The dogs steadily became stronger and also grew in size. Liam had done some research and he knew Tamaskans grew large. Wolf-like. He could not wait to see how big Aka and Koda would really get. 

While they played, Liam heard the sound oft he blow-dryer from the tipped bathroom window. Sadie was the only one at home and she was hiding in the bathroom and doing whatever it was Sadie did. Liam had long ago stopped asking anything related to Sadie and her rituals, especially when it came to beauty.  
But a sudden shriek made the dogs jump and Liam alarmedly looked to the window. “Sadie?“ No answer and he frowned. Herding the puppies back into the house, Liam made his way up the stairs and just saw the door to her bedroom slam shut. Uh, that smelled like drama and Liam internally braced himself for what was awaiting him behind the door.

“Sads?“ He asked after he knocked and slowly opened the door. Sadie was hiding under the covers and Liam slowly stepped up to the bed. “What happened?“  
“It’s horrible! I’m done with this world. Leave me here to die!“  
“Hey, little drama queen, whatever it is, I’m sure we can make it right again.“  
“No! It's too bad!“  
“Sadie!“ Liam said and poked her through her blanket. She squeaked again and pulled the blanket away so it framed her face and her face was the only thing Liam could see. She looked visibly upset. “I didn’t look into the mirror until my hair was dry and now it’s ruined. Ruined!“

Liam’s ear rang from the shrill sound of her hysterical voice. “Okay, calm down! What happened to your hair? Did you burn it off or what?“  
“No. That would have been the better option though.“  
“Oh come on, Sads. You love your hair!“  
“Yeah. And now it looks like this!“   
“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”  
Sadie yanked the blanket away from her head. “Does this looks bad to you?“ She shrieked and pointed at her hair. The usual white blonde strands were now completely purple.  
Liam’s eyes widened. “That…Oh. What happened?“  
“It was supposed to give my hair a shimmer, not turn it completely purple! I love purple but not like this!“  
She looked like she was about to cry and Liam really didn’t need this to happen. “I’m sure there is something we can do about this. This is not the end of the world.“  
She glared at him and wordlessly pointed at her hair. He sighed but then retreated and she crawled under the covers again, perfectly fine with hiding from the whole world.

Liam left the room but grabbed his phone outside and dialed while he walked into his room. He waited for somebody to pick up at the other end of the line. Finally, somebody did and Liam immediately started talking: “Hey, Liam here. How good are you at saving a bad dye job?“ He asked his hairdresser Levin.  
“Depends on how bad it is. What did you do, darling?“  
“Not me, I’m asking for somebody who’s basically my little sister. Purple to blonde again?“  
“Purple? Holy mother…Why? No, don’t tell me why! Just bring the poor girl here immediately!“  
“Thank you!“

They ended the call and Liam marched back to Sadie. “Grab your purse, we‘re going to do something against your hair. No hiding no more!“ He pulled her foot from where it stuck out from under the covers. She shrieked again. “I’m not going out! Never again!“  
“I called my hairdresser. He is great at what he does and he is willing to help you! Don’t make me go Alpha on you, little blonde Beta pup!“  
He managed to pull Sadie from under the covers but lost his footing and both tumbled to the floor. Sadie blew a few strands of hair out of her face and glared at him.  
“I have to say, the purple is very becoming, now that I look at it.“ Liam said thoughtfully.  
“Do you want me to kick you?“

She didn‘t kick him but put on a hoodie and made sure every strand of hair was tugged away before she dared to leave the house and immediately jumped into the truck when she had the chance. Liam decided not to mention it and just drive her to the hair salon. When they arrived, Levin already waited for them.  
“Such a pretty woman. Now, cutie pie, show me the damage.“  
Sadie whined put pulled her hood off and Levin gasped. “My, a pretty color but not on pretty blonde hair.“  
He ushered her into the salon and Liam just sat at the sides and watched everything happen.

“So your hair was an accident?“ He asked her at one point and Sadie shrugged while Levin rinsed her hair and shampooed it.  
“I thought a bit more color would give me more edge. Like Maya and Ever have. I’m just the pretty face, you know? But I wanted something like a taint, not the full color.”  
“You are so much more than just a pretty face and I’m sure everybody views you as this but yourself. All three of you are great personalities and you all are beautiful but you all are your own character. Sadie, sure, you can pull up the pretty face very good and you know it, but you can also fight. You play lacrosse and you keep up with the team. Nobody with just a pretty face could do that. But you work hard and you don’t give up. You’re tough and that gives you an edge.”  
“Listen to the man, cutie pie.” Levin chirped and Sadie laughed.   
“Okay, okay. Maybe you’re right and I compared myself too much to the other two. I mean, I could never pull off Maya’s realness or Ever’s light spirit but I guess that’s okay? I’m Sadie and I usually love myself how I am. It’s just hard sometimes to not get insecure.”  
“I know how you feel. But that’s what friends are here for. To remind you how wonderful you are and how much of an amazing person you are.”

She considered things. “Levi? Do you think it’s possible to keep the purple tips? A little bit of color won’t hurt, right?”  
“I’ll do my best, cutie pie.”

Levin proved he was great at what he was doing and when they left Sadie was blonde again but had washed out purple tips and she loved them. The chemical smell was the only thing that gave away something had happened to her hair and she smiled brightly and invited Liam for a big cup of steaming hot coffee. The coffee shop was crowded and so they ordered their drinks to go and then just walked down the street and sipped their coffee.

“Thank you for pulling me out of the bed and dragging me here. I can look into the mirror again and have other people see me as well.” She thanked her Alpha and Liam chuckled.  
“I stand with what I said: The purple was nice. Sudden but nice.”  
“Yeah...No.”  
Sadie shook her head and sipped her coffee. They headed for a bench and sat down, watched the people walking by.

“How are you?” She asked him when Liam sat next to her and he shrugged.  
“I’m okay. Theo has not replied to my latest messages but that’s okay. He probably doesn’t have any cell reception.”   
“I wasn’t so much talking about the Theo situation and more like the Scott situation. It’s been a few days since the talk and you have been quiet about it.”  
Liam took his time with sipping on his coffee and then he lowered his cup and looked down at it. He finally swallowed his sip and sighed. “I’m pushing it to the back of my mind, to be honest.”   
“Hm, you had very high hopes for this talk and it didn’t turn out how you would like it to, so I understand that.”

“I guess I’m disappointed in Scott? I thought so much about how he would react that I didn’t think about my reaction to his reaction, you know? And now that he reacted so disappointed, I am disappointed in him as well.” Liam watched a jogger ran past them. “I sometimes feel like Scott forgives every one but his pack members. Like he is happy to forgive Deucalion, he was even ready to forgive Monroe and let her run away, he forgave the Alpha twins but with the people closest to him, he has a hard time. I remember how I felt after I tried to kill him. I know it was horrible what I did and I felt so bad. He made me feel how angry and disappointed he was but at the same time, he was all about saving people who had kicked his ass before and I don’t know. I love Scott and I think he is a great person but sometimes he gets a little bit unfair. You can treat people so differently. And I really thought he would call after he thought all this over, but I guess I was wrong.”

Liam pulled the corners of his mouth down and passed his cup from one hand to the other.

“Liam, I am sorry you feel so disappointed right now and that this wasn’t as positive as you hoped it would be but I can tell you one thing. You are a great person, a good werewolf, and even more important, you are a great Alpha. Every single member of this pack is immediately ready to fight for you and defend you and that’s unconditional loyalty. You only get this when you treat people with respect and love and make them feel welcome. If Scott can’t see that, then forgive me, but Scott McCall is an idiot. And the rest of the pack as well because nobody else reached out to you.”

Liam sighed and looked up at the grey sky. “That’s the problem with human interactions. You expect people to react a certain way and if they don’t, your whole world gets turned upside down. But I really don’t want to waste my time on things I can’t change right now. I was honest, I laid everything open, now it’s Scott’s turn. Maybe he will reach out, maybe he doesn’t, I have better things to do at the moment than waiting for him.”  
“Like longing for Theo?”  
“I’m not longing for Theo. I just miss him.”

“Well,” Sadie said nonchalantly. “The only good thing about him being in Alaska is that the two of you can’t fuck in the library at the moment. I had to spray half of my perfume there to cover up the smell of sex. You two are shameless!”

Liam choked on his coffee and coughed. It had really escaped their minds that the other wolves would be able to smell it. 

Sadie grinned at his reaction. “On the other hand, we all are happy you have such a fulfilling love life. But as long as Ever doesn’t invent a spell to make a room immediately smell like nothing afterward, you should probably keep your sex life limited to spaces where we can’t smell it. I would recommend you keep it in your room but you both can be kinky shits and so I know that won’t happen and also there is a certain thrill about not doing it in the bedroom, I get that.”

Liam was blushing and grimaced. “Can we stop talking about this before I die of embarrassment?”  
The blonde grinned. “Only if you tell me who is the naughtier out of the two of you. I have to win a bet with Mason.”  
Liam opened his mouth but when he thought about it, he closed it again. “Huh.” He mumbled.   
“You really can’t answer that? Oh my god, Mason will die!” She giggled gleefully.”His money was so on Theo.”  
“Theo can be pretty shameless and profligate but so can I. I’d say it’s pretty evenly.” Liam frowned. “Wait, what did you bet on?”  
Her lips curved into a wolfish smile. “You. Think I never heard Theo calling you naughty little Alpha?”

Liam wanted to resent that but then he remembered he sent Theo some raunchy and teasing pics and he just sipped his coffee. Sadie narrowed her eyes. “What did you do? You have this look on your face.”  
Now Liam grinned. “I decided to have a little payback on my lovely mate. He traveled to Alaska, it’s only fair to show him what he’s missing, right?” He pointed at his body and Sadie stared at him in awe.  
“That’s devilish. I bow to you, Lee.”   
Liam smirked.

******  
Liam would have liked to say waking up the next day was a better feeling but it wasn’t. He rolled on Theo’s side and sighed softly. “Five more days,” He told himself and stared at the ceiling. “And if you ever leave without me again, I’ll kick your ass!” 

He didn’t really know who he was talking to but he just imagined Theo could hear him. Which was bullshit, he wasn’t that starved for having Theo around that he was hallucinating, but he needed to get it out. Now he grabbed his phone and checked if he had any texts. Theo had replied to him after Liam had fallen asleep yesterday. 

[from Theo]  
**That the material sweet dreams are about. Good Night, Alpha puppy ;D**

[from Theo]  
**Are you serious? I almost opened this with Mike next to me!**

[from Theo]  
**Why are you doing this to me? Is this payback??**

[from Theo]   
**I want to lick those droplets off your skin**

[from Theo]  
**I have to sleep in a small cabin with Mike. Do you know how uncomfortable it is when I’m horny?**

Liam snickered. And just because he could (nobody said Liam was the bigger person and he was so not against teasing even further) he switched his phone to the camera once again. He started recording a very small video of him smiling innocently at the camera. “Good Morning! I hope you didn’t freeze your butts off! Stay safe! The pack misses you!” He shouted and then stopped recording before he sent it to Theo. And then his naughty side woke up again and Liam smirked slyly. He pulled down his pajama pants and freed his cock from his boxers to slowly stroke himself with one hand while he set the camera on recording the video a second time. Liam made sure to give Theo an unhidden look on his slowly hardening cock when he grabbed the lube and smeared it on his fingers and when he was completely hard and started to pump his length, Liam moaned. “Theo...” He gasped and arched his back up while he tilted his head back. He imagined his boyfriend close to him and how Theo had jerked him off several times. It got him even hotter and soon enough he was moaning loudly. The precum gathered at the tip of his cock smeared over his fingers when Liam brushed them over the tip and he grunted. Liam bucked into his hand, used the precum combined with the lube to smear it all over his shaft and make the movements even smoother. 

When he reached his orgasm sometime later and spilled all over his hand, Liam laid breathlessly on the bed before he raised the camera to capture his smirk. “Good Morning.” He whispered hoarsely and winked before he turned off the camera and sent Theo the video. He stayed in bed for a few minutes longer than he dragged himself to the shower. When he returned, a text from Mike was waiting for him. 

[from Mike]  
**Whatever you did to Theo, he just cursed you out loudly. And then he blushed.**

[from Mike]  
**I wasn’t even aware he could blush. Like, Theo Raeken and blushing? Genetically not possible. But thanks for proving me wrong.**

Liam snickered and then Theo sent a text.

[from Theo]  
**Don’t believe anything Mike sent you, whatever it is. He’s just being silly. But Liam, really????**

[to Mike]  
**Thanks for telling me. Continue to have fun and take a lot of pictures. Can’t wait to see them and hear your stories.**  

[to Theo]  
**Love you too, my mate**.

******  
So the days went on. They sent a few texts back and forth, Liam continued to tease Theo, but mostly Theo had a literal no good connection and so the messages took hours and were mostly kept short. He got a pretty nice picture of the snowy forest and the sunrise dipping everything in orange and pink light and it was just so pretty, Liam showed it to the pack and they all admired the beauty of the nature in Alaska. The pack life itself was boring, nothing extraordinary happened. Not that Liam wasn't grateful for this, he needed peace after his talk with Scott, but it also led to him making a decision and without thinking too much about it, he booked a flight and packed his bag. 

“I can’t believe you’re leaving too.” Nolan muttered while they all said goodbye to Liam in the airport hall.   
“It’s not like I’m not planning on coming back.” Liam placated him. “I will be back faster than you think.” His flight was called up and he hugged his Betas. “Okay, I have to go. While I’m gone, Maya is the substitute Alpha and Mason helps her.”  
“Me? Why me?” Maya replied in utter surprise.   
“Because I know you will do well in that role and you’re the least I am worried about blowing something up!” Liam told her before he kissed her cheek. “See you soon, guys! Don’t do anything stupid!”  
He waved and then turned around and walked to the check-in counter. “Hey, I’d like to check in.” He told the lady behind it with a smile and showed her his passport. 

Liam was buzzing with excitement and couldn’t stop smiling the whole entire time. Check-In went smoothly and he walked to the plane and searched for his seat and never once did he stop smiling. The plane was small, just a few passengers could fit in, but he didn’t care and looked out of the window the whole time. He didn’t want to miss anything outside and even though the flight was just four hours, he enjoyed to see the world beneath the plane.

When they finally landed and they exited the plane, Liam got almost blinded by the white snow all around. He stopped to give his eyes a moment to adjust, then he looked around. The airport was small, had a few stuffed moose heads on the walls, and a soft grey carpet. Liam checked the plain wall clock. He still had time and so he shuffled to the luggage pick up and then walked out of the small airport. The town itself wasn’t that big either and Liam found the hotel easily. The receptionist was a nice young woman and she smiled happily when Liam checked in.  
“Thanks again for changing the booking.” He told her and she nodded enthusiastically.   
“Anytime. If you need anything else, just tell us, sir. Here’s your key. Your room is on the first floor and then to the left.”

Liam grabbed the room key and made his way up the broad stairs next to the reception. He checked the room number and soon found his room. When he unlocked the door, the first thing he noticed was the big window that gave an unhidden view of the forest. Sun was making the snow sparkle and the whole world looked so bright, Liam let his bag drop to the floor and stepped to the window to just enjoy the view. The room itself had a double bed at one wall and a small tv on a small stand across from the bed, as well as a plain desk and a chair. It was all very plain but useful and Liam liked it. It would be enough to sleep for one night. 

He decided to visit the town a little bit and walk around and so he grabbed the key again, left his bag behind, and ventured out to explore the town. There wasn’t that much to explore, one Diner and a café, lots of tourists stores, and shops selling fish. A nice, cozy town, not too exciting but Liam wasn’t here for action. He checked his watch again and then made his way to the point where the guided tours ended.

Said point was a big hall and had some boards with the history of the town standing around, just like a stuffed polar bear in one corner. An information desk where you could book tours was set up in front of a wall with all the tours. Liam sat down on an old plaided couch and waited. From his place, he could see through the large windows and spot any new arrivals.

He let out a nervous breath, even though he had no idea why he was nervous in the first place. And then finally, he saw them arrive. The sleds came to a halt behind the hall and the persons got up. Liam spotted Theo right away and a smile graced his features while he got up from the couch. Theo and Mike petted the dogs, no doubt telling them they did a great job, and then grabbed their bags while some people from the tour company took care of the animals. Theo chatted animally with the guide and laughed and Liam once again realized how attractive his mate was. The sun hit him just right and Theo looked perfect in his black winter jacket and the grey beanie, the dark blue jeans, and brown winter boots. He walked slowly towards the hall, still engrossed in his talk with the guide, while Mike was faster. He also spotted Liam at first and grinned.

“I have told him nothing and he has absolutely no idea. He’s just whining because you didn’t reply to any of his latest texts.”  
Liam had indeed ignored all messages from Theo to not spoil the surprise and now just smirked while he hugged Mike. “Thank you. Good to see you again.”  
And Theo seemed to hear his voice because his head spun around mid-conversation and his eyes locked with Liam’s. “Liam!”  
Liam grinned and Mike stepped aside while the guide just grinned and walked away. “That’s my name.”  
“What are you doing here?”  
“Well, since you developed a tendency of suddenly going on adventures, somebody has to make sure you’re getting back home. Besides, the Alaskan people endured you for a whole week, I probably have to say sorry to every single one of them.” He joked.   
Theo looked taken aback. “You...Are you still mad at me?”  
“I am fuming.” Liam retorted. “Even more if you don’t come over here and greet me in the right way.” 

He smiled at Theo because he wasn’t mad, of course not, and then the chimera dropped his bag and tackled Liam for the tightest bear hug he ever received in his whole life. Liam laughed and wrapped both arms around Theo’s neck. “Missed you, Dore.”   
“Missed you too. So much! I am so sorry for doing this.”  
“Shh, it’s okay, we talked about that. I’m not mad anybody and I finally have you back in my arms. Everything is fine now.” Liam fondled Theo’s neck and when Theo raised his head to look at him, Liam smiled. The older man returned the smile and then picked Liam up in a swift motion before he pressed his lips against Liam’s. Maybe it was cliché but it was one of the best kisses Liam ever got in his entire life and he steadied his hold on Theo’s neck before he returned the kiss with all he might. 

A few people clapped in the background but Liam ignored them all and just focused on Theo. A week, seven fucking long days, and he finally had the love of his life back, could kiss and hug him, and just be close to him. And even when they parted and Theo put him on his own two feet again, the couple didn’t really move away but wrapped their arms around each other while they left the hall. 

“I can’t believe you really flew to Alaska to greet us!”  
“You know me, T, I’ve done crazier shit than that.”  
Theo just chuckled and wrapped his arm tighter around Liam’s shoulder. Liam had his arm around Theo’s waist. “I called the hotel, changed the booking, and now I already checked into our room. Hope you don’t mind.”  
“Liam, you’re here. I finally have my Liam back, I don’t care about anything else for the rest of the day.”  
“Great. So, what do you say? Get your bags in the rooms and then grab something to eat?” Liam suggested and both, Mike and Theo, agreed with that.

That’s what they did. Mike checked in too, they brought their bags to their rooms and then walked to the restaurant in the town.   
“How’s the pack?” Mike asked when they had gotten their food and were eating.   
“They are great but they miss you guys. Life was pretty boring. Sadie has purple hair tips now.”  
“Purple? Why?” Theo asked.  
Liam grinned but shrugged. “She likes purple, so why not?”  
He looked at his mate and smiled, thumb stroking over Theo’s hand. They were holding hands the entire time, never losing contact, and Liam was just happy. It would take a while until he would let go of Theo again.

“But now tell me about your journey.”

And they told him anything. About the dogs, about the guide, what they visited, what they saw, the experiences they made while sleeping in some igloos, and while they talked Liam felt how happy and excited Mike and Theo were. It truly had been an adventure but they had thoroughly enjoyed it and he was happy to hear that. 

“If you ever want to do that again, just tell me, okay?” He asked Theo later when they were in their hotel room. Both were on the bed, already in their PJs, both on their sides and faced each other, legs entangled. Liam had his hand on Theo’s cheek and stroked it with his thumb, Theo had his palm on Liam’s waist and softly stroked the skin through his shirt.  
“I will. Sorry again for how this all went down. It was a really stupid move.”  
“I still can’t believe you used your wish for this.” Liam shook his head with a laugh. “If you want, I would be willing to say you didn’t and you still have your wish.”  
“No. I used it and that’s fair. Serves me right for being such an idiot, you know? But anyway, we’re back together, that’s what counts.” He smiled at Liam and Liam smiled back before he moved closer and kissed Theo. It wasn’t sex right now, both just enjoyed being together again, and being able to feel each other like that. Though Theo now kissed his jaw and his neck before he tugged at the earlobe with his teeth.

“By the way, those pictures and the videos you sent me...Fuck, baby, I was aware you could be naughty but that was mean. I couldn’t touch you and had to take cold showers whenever I could.”  
Liam snickered. “See it as your punishment.” He teased and cuddled up as close to Theo as he could. “Mine.” He said when he wrapped his arms around his mate and closed his eyes with a happy sigh. “Finally back where you belong. In my arms.”  
Theo chuckled and played with Liam’s hair. “Right where I belong.” He affirmed.

 ******  
Liam was slowly drifting back to reality from the deep sleep. He had slept way better than the last nights with Theo by his side again and curled up against his chimera. Theo’s steady heartbeat and his scent had surrounded him and lulled him to sleep easily. Theo smelled even better in person than just his hoodie and Liam loved it. He now rolled around and intended to snuggle against Theo again, still curled under the warm covers, but there was no Theo there. Yet before Liam’s sleepy brain could fully register this and panic, Theo slipped into bed again and put his arm around Liam.

“You’re cold.” Liam mumbled sleepily and scrunched his nose before he finally opened his eyes halfway. “Why are you cold?”  
“I was outside. Did something and now I’m back. Did you miss me?”  
“I miss you every minute you’re not around.” Liam replied and rubbed his nose against Theo’s. “Your nose is cold too.”  
He opened his eyes completely and attempted to pull Theo closer to wrap his boyfriend in the blankets and himself around Theo to warm him up but Theo gently refused.   
“I thought we could go for a walk? Say goodbye to the town before we have breakfast and drive to the airport?”

Liam frowned a bit but Theo gave him a pleading look and who was Liam to say No to that. So he nodded and proceeded to go out of bed and get ready so they could leave.   
When he was finally finished Theo took his hand and they both walked closer to the forest and then around a frozen lake. The morning sun made the ice sparkle like thousands of tiny diamonds and Liam smiled.

“Heard anything from Scott?” Theo asked him and gently tightened his hold on Liam’s hand. The couple was holding hands since they left their hotel room and never stopped touching.  Now Liam shook his head.  
“Nothing but there’s nothing I can do about it. I hoped he would be proud of me but obviously, I was wrong.” He swallowed dryly. “I can only focus on other, more important, things right now like my own pack. My Betas. My mate.” He smiled at Theo and Theo squeezed his hand softly and returned the smile.  
“I know you wanted him to be proud and I can’t believe he’s acting like this but you have to know that you are amazing, okay? As Alpha, as a mate, as a friend. I am proud of you, your whole pack is.”  
“I know, Theo.” Liam’s smile was real this time and he pecked Theo’s cheek. “Your opinion is the most important of them all anyway. You’re my other half after all.”

Theo smiled softly and stopped walking. He turned to face Liam. “I realized this too in the span of the last week. Not that I didn’t know it before, we’re mated after all, but this week made me fully realize how deep my feeling for you run. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and I thought about the way we parted and how sorry I was. But then we talked and you started to send the pics and the videos and I thought every time how lucky I am to have you. Somebody who is mad and yet picks up my call so we can kind of talk it out and then proceeds to _punish_ me with teasing images. Someone who loves me so unconditionally that the thought of coming home is probably the best part of a journey. Someone who gave me a home in the first place and I’m not talking about a building. I’m talking about the way I sometimes wonder how you can see any good in me and believe the way you do. But then you smile at me or even when you sleep you move closer to me, almost as if you know what I’m thinking at this very moment, and I realize that when I doubt myself so much and think I’m not good, it is negating to you and your thoughts and feelings and I simply can’t do that. Your faith in me gives me hope. And this week apart showed me how much I want this, all of this, with you. Hell, I even want the fighting because nobody drives me as mad as you do and nobody gets under my skin as much as you do. I want you to drive me crazy for the rest of my life, I want you to love me and let me love you so unconditionally, I want to see you smile for the rest of my life, I want to be protected by you and protect you for the rest of my life. To make it short, I want everything with you, the good and the bad.” He smiled and kissed Liam softly before he leaned his forehead against Liam’s.

The couple just stood there, foreheads pressed together and fingers interlaced, and both smiled happily. “I love you.” Liam said softly and leaned in to kiss Theo again.   
“I love you too.” Theo whispered back. A soft breeze swirled around them and they both shivered as well as Liam’s stomach rumbled. Theo laughed. “Come on, let’s grab some breakfast, love of my life.”

Liam smiled happily and kissed Theo one last time before the couple wandered back into the hotel to meet with Mike for breakfast. This was the perfect ending of a week and he had not expected it to end like this at the beginning of the said week. But now everything was how it should be. Theo was with him again and soon the pack would be united again. What else could Liam ask for?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked hard on this chapter until it was the way I wanted it to be. I had like five drafts for this and yet the result is a mixture of all five of them. I can't wait to hear what you all have to say about this. I still can't believe this story already has 31 chapters and you all love it so much. Thank you again. You all are awesome!!
> 
> I mentioned on tumblr once that I'm planning on making a story with scenes from this story that don't necessarily revolt around Liam. And I thought why not start with Theo? Read Theo's point of view [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13571970/chapters/31148820)


	32. New dangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new threat arises

“WELCOME HOME!”

Liam had barely opened the door when the various voices resounded. Years of living in Beacon Hills trained him not to jump at the sudden noise. He tensed, yes, but he didn’t jump in full attack mode. He just raised an eyebrow instead. “That’s what I call a welcome.”

He looked over his shoulder and smiled softly when he saw the faces of Theo and Mike. They both came from destructive families or had no parents anymore, so coming home to a loving pack that welcomed them with open arms was one of the best experiences they would ever have. So Liam stepped aside and let his pack mates hug his first Beta and his stubborn Beta. He greeted his pack too, of course, but he had been gone for a day, Theo and Mike had been gone for a week so they deserved this welcome.

Mason stepped next to Liam. “No ring on your finger? I could have sworn you two would come back as an engaged couple because you realized you can’t live without each other and want everyone to see that.”

Liam smirked and shrugged. “We can’t live without each other and we will get engaged soon enough.” He said and watched Theo with a fond smile on his face and his eyes shining with the love for his mate. Theo was back at where he belonged and their bond seemed to have grown stronger in this week. They managed their relationship, even if times were rough sometimes and they drove each other up the wall with their antics. That was just them and Liam would never trade it for anything in the world. Whatever it may be, if he didn’t have Theo by his side, it was useless and meant nothing to Liam.

Theo now seemed to notice Liam looking at him because he turned his head and smiled at Liam and the nineteen-year-old felt himself smile back happily. He winked at his chimera and Theo laughed, another gorgeous sound. Liam was addicted to those happy sounds from his mate. What had Theo said? He was Liam-sexual? Well, in that case, Liam was Theo-sexual. And he loved it.

“You’re happy. That’s the most important thing.“ Mason stated and clapped Liam on the back.  
“I am, Mase. Happier than ever.“

******  
Maybe Liam should have expected his happiness to be in danger soon enough. That was their life after all and somehow fate seemed to love to throw stones and obstacles in their way; not only in Liam’s but in the way of the whole pack. And so it happened that Ever came home one day, a dark look on her face, and when the pack sat down to eat the pizza Tim, Nolan, and Corey ordered for everyone, she spoke up.  
“I’m worried.“  
“About what? The calories in this pizza?“ Mike asked while he was chewing and she made a face at him. “Gross.“  
“Nomnomnom.“ He replied and gasped when she snapped her fingers and made his coke splash on his face. Tim coughed out a laugh and handed Mike a napkin to dry his face. “You had this coming.“  
“Traitor,“ The computer genius muttered and wiped his face. “I like Nokan more than you.“  
“No, you don’t!“ Tim explained cheerfully.  
“No, you really don’t.“ Nolan backed Tim up.  
The rest of the pack grinned, except for Ever who shook her head. “Back to the matter at hand, please? Thank you. I am worried. Not about food! I mean it! I’m really worried.“

She glanced at the Beacon Hills gang. “How well acquainted are you with demons?“  
Mason immediately jumped into action. “That depends what kind of demons. We once had the demon wolf, Stiles once was possessed by an evil spirit though I’m not sure this counts as a demon and it was before we became part of the supernatural world, then we had a selkie once.“  
“It still depends what kind of demons we’re talking about.“, Corey added before Mason could go any further.  
“I don’t know what kind of demons. But let’s say we’re talking about things from the deepest pit oft he underworld or wherever they come from here. That attack people and cause harm.“ She described.  
“Welcome to a new episode of Shadowhunters!“ Maya muttered and Theo cast a look at her.  
“I really don’t think we’re really part of the Shadowhunters universe just because there might be some demons running around.“  
“That‘s sad. Alec is hot.“ Liam said thoughtfully and Theo glanced at him with his eyebrows raised.  
“I wasn‘t aware you’re into dark haired boys.“  
“Well, you’re not exactly what I would call a blond either,“ Liam smirked at his boyfriend and Theo rolled his eyes. They needed this little banter between serious topics. It kept the spirit of everyone high, Liam liked to think that at least.

But the next moment he was serious again. “Why do you ask?“ He questioned.  
“There is some talking in the Wiccan community. Some real witches, others just practice Wiccan ways, but there are stories about some demonic sightings, demons runnings around, because some witches obviously messed with the wrong magic, either willingly or accidentally. I don’t know if it’s just gossip or not, maybe some try to make themselves more important than they are, but I wanted to tell you guys so we are prepared.“  
Liam trusted Ever and he trusted her judgment. So he calmly asked: “Do you think it’s gossip?“  
Ever stroked a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. “I am alarmed. As long as we know nothing else, it’s better to expect an attack or whatever. Better safe than sorry.“  
“Okay. If you hear anything else, let me know.“ Liam, being his Alpha self, told her and she nodded. “That goes for everyone. If you see something suspiciously, you tell us others.“  
The Betas nodded. There was nothing else to say. Ever had warned them, Liam told them what to do.

Later that night, Liam knocked at Ever’s door and entered when she told him to do so. “Hey.“ He closed the door and leaned against it while he watched her spin around on her desk chair.  
“You have that serious Alpha face. What‘s going on, big brother?“  
“I want your honest opinion. What do you think about this gossip? I know what you said earlier that night but I thought you may have something else to say.“  
Ever sighed. “The things is... Look at that!“ She waved him over and when he stepped to her desk, she had various books splayed out there, all showing various sketches and descriptions of demons. “Those are just a few of the things we’re talking about and if those stories are true, we have a big big problem. Maya wasn’t so wrong with the Shadowhunters because it is a good visual. We’re talking about powerful and terrifying creatures here, with powers beyond imagination. If somebody summoned them, this is serious.“  
“Do you think someone could have accidentally summoned them?“ Liam asked her.  
She nodded. “It is possible but still terrifying. If somebody willingly called them into this world, it would mean they want to slaughter more or less anybody.“  
Liam took this all in. “We keep our eyes open. It’s good you told us, that way we are prepared.“  
Ever looked at him. “Liam, if those things are real and if they are in this world, I’m not sure we can fight them.“  
“We have to try. If it becomes reality, we have to. It’s what we do.“  
“And how?“ The witch asked him.  
“As pack. I know this sounds silly compared to a demon with unknown powers but I learned one thing: Things get a little bit less scary if you don‘t have to face them alone. So we stick together, it’s what we do best.“ He squeezed her shoulder. “We protect each other, Ever.“

She tried a brave smile but didn’t manage to pull it off completely. Liam squeezed her shoulder again and then moved towards the door to leave. Before he could close the door, however, she called him back. "Liam?“  
He turned around to face her. “Yes?“  
“Is it okay if I’m scared?“  
“Yeah. I’d like to say one day you stop being scared but that would be a lie. But being scared and still doing what you have to do, that‘s brave. And you are just doing it. It also means you’re being cautious.“ He sighed. “We all are scared, that’s natural. Don’t try to act like you’re not, this will bite you in the ass sooner or later.“ Why should he lie? It was true and he never lied to his pack.  
“Thank you.“ Ever obviously appreciated his honesty.  
Liam nodded with a small smile and then closed the door again.

He was in deep thoughts and considered everything they knew currently. It wasn’t much but Liam liked to think about a possible battle plan. If things got nasty, they would need this.  
“What’s on your mind?“ Theo asked when they had crawled into bed and laid next to each other. He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow, supported his head with it, while he looked at Liam who was on his back and stared at the dark ceiling.  
“I’m thinking about what Ever said. If she’s right, we have trouble coming our way.“  
“Liam, we’re from Beacon Hills. Trouble seems to follow us everywhere.“  
Liam averted his eyes and looked at his mate. “We’re talking about things like the Anuk-ite here.“  
“I’m aware. Being on alert is good, Liam, but we both know if things happen, they happen. We can’t change any supernatural creatures lurking around and targeting innocent people. We can’t change the fact that we have to fight. Because we fight, always, and we do it to protect. I know you, I know leaving Beacon Hills didn’t mean you would resign fighting anything supernatural baddies. Or hunters. Or whatever else. You are a fighter, my dear Alpha, and your pack is ready to fight by your side. But currently it is just gossip and we have to wait until it turns out true. Then we can take actions.“  
It was kind of serious but Liam couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face. “I can’t believe you just used the term baddies.“  
Theo groaned. “Shut up.“ He said fondly and leaned in to kiss Liam lovingly. Liam had no complaints whatsoever and raised one hand to put it against Theo’s cheek while they kissed.

******  
Liam learned to trust his gut feeling over time and his gut feeling told him this was far from over. He was proved right when the news about a woman who owned an antique store being basically slaughtered in her store. Ever confirmed what Liam feared: She had been a witch. Ever looked devasted. “I didn‘t know her personally but it’s still sad.“ She explained. ”But now we know something is happening.“  
And the next days were filled with news of people getting attacked by ravens in their living room, some were killed with their chests ripped open, others were stabbed. It was a setting to pay tribute to every fucking horror movie Liam ever saw or heard of.  
 “This has to stop!“ Corey said after day five of those events and the young Alpha agreed wholeheartedly. But they were completely in the dark because the people who survived were traumatized and their stories didn’t make sense and even if they did, no story was like the other. And the others were…well dead. So stopping yes but how?

“Let’s watch this from a logical point of view.“ Mason started. “They all were witches, right?“  
“Were they?“ Sadie asked back.  
“What’s that supposed to mean?“ Ever asked her.  
“Well, were they witches or were they witches-witches?“  
“I have no idea what you’re trying to say, Sads.“ Ever shook her head.  
Sadie narrowed her green eyes. “Were they really like you or were they just people pretending to be witches? Because in case A the demons could target them for their powers. In case B they might as well just be human sacrifices.“  
Ever glared at her. “Could you say that without sounding so clinical and logical?“  
“No, because she is completely right!“ Theo replied instead of Sadie.  
“You still need to consider that they were all people.“ Corey retorted.  
“Doesn’t change the fact that we need to get to cause of why they were killed.“ Mike now threw in.  
“Does it matter? We have to find who did it, not why they did it. That can be asked later.“ Tim replied his best friend and they all started to argue.

Liam suddenly realized that his pack was divided when it came to those things. You had the logical minds on one side (Mason, Theo, Sadie, Mike, Maya) and the emotional based people on the other side (Corey, Tim, Ever, Nolan). Liam himself surveyed his pack arguing back and forth and he listened to everything that was being said.  
“You all are right.“ He finally cut in. “Yes, we have to keep in mind why those people were killed. They were killed by something or several somethings because the stories sound like several attackers out there came to them and killed them. And that’s what we should focus on now. Find out what, find out how then later find out why.“ He ran a hand through his hair. “So. Any ideas?“

“I could be the bait.“ Ever suggested.  
“No!“ Liam and Theo said at the same time.  
“But a valid point: You are not going anywhere alone from now on. None of us does. Two of us have always stick together at least. Witches may be just the beginning, I don‘t want anyone of us having to face whatever it is alone. That means, one human has one supernatural, okay? I really don’t want you, humans, fighting demons on your own.“ Liam demanded  
“Got it!“ The pack murmured. Nobody would speak up against their Alpha when he gave orders like that.

"One more thing: If you come across whatever thing this is: Run! I mean it. We have no idea what they can do, we have no idea what they want. As long as we know nothing about our enemies, you don’t fight with them.“ Liam glanced at every pack members but especially at the ones he knew needed this order.  
“Why are you looking at me like this?“ Sadie, Theo, Mike, and Maya asked at the same time. Liam gave them a pointed look.  
“Are you following your own order as well?“ Theo asked and raised one eyebrow. He knew Liam and his reckless ways. Liam scoffed.  
“Have to, I guess. Lead by example, you know?”

******  
“There are probably police officers and we are not exactly unnoticeable because we are so many. How are you going to manage sneaking behind a police barricade and inspect a crime scene?“ Nolan asked Liam two days later and right when Theo, Sadie, Maya, and Corey stepped in. The other members were already gathered in the living room and listened to Liam‘s newest plan.  
“I know it won’t be easy but we have to. It could help us find some evidence the police is not looking for.“ Liam held his ground. “Every killer leaves some trace.“  
“You sound like Miss Marple.“, Theo told his boyfriend and Liam huffed and glared at him.  
“I’m just trying to find a way to get closer to what’s killing all those witches!” Liam growled. “But thanks for the input, Theodore.”

Theo grimaced at his full name but then turned his attention to the matter at hand. “You want to sneak into the latest crime scene and investigate? Nolan’s right, that is risky and probably impossible with such a large group. Which means you need a smaller group which means you don’t have the whole pack to back you up in case something happens and that is a No from me.”  
“Who are you? My bodyguard?” Liam asked annoyed. It was the best plan they currently had and he knew it sucked but it was a plan at least.   
“Your mate, your first Beta, your anchor, so yeah, kind of the same thing.” The replied with a shit-eating grin and Liam’s eyebrow twitched. He was about to argue back when Ever’s phone rang with an incoming call. She accepted and soon the wolves could hear the hysteric voice of a woman.   
“Hayley, relax, okay? What do you mean there is something dark out there? Did you see something?”  
The woman hastily told Ever about a shadow, a demon, lurking outside her shop and begged Ever to come and help her. Ever glanced at Liam and she nodded.  
“Hayley, we’re on our way. Just lock the door and hide.” Ever instructed and then ended the call. Everyone got to their feet and the pack moved as one. They were in sync like that when it came to things like that. 

******  
The store offering all kinds of mishmash, from amulets over herbs to esoteric books, looked peaceful and as if nobody was there. When Ever touched the doorknob, however, the door swung open and they looked at each other before they slowly stepped in, Liam in front of the group. And right when they all took a few more steps into the store, they found a woman Liam supposed was Hayley draped over the counter, eyes wide open and open in a silent scream. She was on her back and there was blood everywhere, dripping from the counter, from her hand. She looked like a sacrifice on an altar, Liam thought with a shiver. Ever choked out a sob and took a few steps closer to her dead friend but when she was next to Liam, his arm shot out and hindered her from going further, eyes fixated in the dark storage room right behind the counter. The door was open and it looked empty but Liam was tense and didn’t let Ever any further.

“Stay behind me.” He ordered. “All of you.” 

Ever stared at him, then she stepped back and Liam glanced at Theo from the corner of his eye. His boyfriend stood an armlength away from him but flush to Liam and Liam hissed. “I said to stay behind me! All of you!” He ordered sharply. Theo, usually prone to argue with Liam about things like that, looked at him but then nodded and took a few steps back as well. Now Liam was alone in front of his pack, full attention on the storage room now. He growled lowly and his eyes glowed red while his fangs slowly came out.

Nothing happened for several minutes but then a sound from scratching over wood could be heard. The wooden floor creaked and then something emerged from the darkness. No horror movie could have been a better reveal for the monster than this. 

It peeked upside down from the doorframe like some ghost. The stature was female but the whole body was ash grey and looked haggard, skin - if you wanted to call it that - flaky and dry. The creature was naked and had claw-like feet that held it while he scuttled across the ceiling from the storage room and into the light of the shop. The eyes were just two black holes, but the mouth was a round shape adorned with two rows of sharp teeth, and the thing had claws, sharp things and nothing compared to a werewolf’s claws. Those claws were as long as Liam’s upper arm. No hair on the creature's body, just some slits were the ears were supposed to be. 

They all stared at the creature as it hung at the ceiling and watched them. Liam smelled the fear from his pack and his own heart was skyrocketing. No matter how often he fought against supernatural creatures, he got afraid every time and this thing was basically as terrifying as the Anuk-ite. The thing looked at him. “Werewolf. Alpha.” It rustled and Liam wordlessly stared at it, fangs lightly bared. If the thing was friendly, he wouldn’t attack either.

The demon seemed to consider what he was but then it let out a blood-curdling scream that put Lydia to shame. Liam’s blood ran cold and he heard somebody whimper behind him. He could not be mad, that was a real horror. And then the demon spat a big black thorn right where Maya stood. Only thanks to her fast reflexes she could jump aside and the thorn slammed into the floor and broke the wood. Fuck that, this was large. The pack jumped and Liam growled.

“Corey, the humans!” He ordered and Corey reacted immediately and grabbed Mason by the shoulder with one hand and Nolan with the other. Nolan grabbed Ever as well and they all disappeared while the wolves snarled at the thing, claws extracted and eyes glowing. But an invisible hunter with his crossbow ready to shoot and an invisible witch were a benefit. And Mason and Corey had time to analyze the creature’s fighting scheme.

Liam anxiously listened to the sounds of the invisible group and the demon still was glued to the ceiling but turned its head. And then she spat another thorn and Ever screamed in pain before she turned visible and fell to the floor, thorn sticking in her side. The demon screeched and the leaped, landed right over the young witch and tossed Nolan aside like he was nothing. She snarled into Ever’s face and Ever bit her lower lip and raised her hand, ready to use her magic, when the demon grabbed the thorn and twisted it inside Ever. Ever howled in pain and fell back to the floor and then Maya howled and tackled the demon. They crashed into a small shelf but it gave Ever enough time to crawl into safety and Corey grabbed her by the shoulder. 

Maya and the demon fought and Mike roared before he jumped on the creature’s back and dragged her away from Maya. He tried to at least but suddenly the creature was gone and on the other side of the room.  
“Damn, that beast is fast!” Sadie called out.   
“Really? Thanks for the heads up!” Theo snarled and then he and Sadie jumped the thing. Not only them, the other wolves joined them as well but the demon spread her arms and a sudden force wave let them all crash to the floor. The creature let out a deafening cry, almost a soundwave, and the sensible hearing made it hurt. Liam winced in pain and pressed his hands over his ears.   
Sadie and Tim had been the center of the soundwave and groaned. “I can’t move. It’s like I’m glued to the floor!” Tim called out and Sadie whined while she tried to struggle against the invisible hold pressing her down. 

Theo roared and his eyes blazed. He was lucky, he could get on his feet and used his own speed to jump behind the demon and rake his claws over her back. She screeched in pain and spun around to lunge at him. They fought too and Liam roared. He wasted no time in joining the fight with the demon. The whole interior got bashed but the demon was strong. Even after Sadie and Tim could move again and were helped to her feet by Mike and Maya, it wasn’t really a fair fight. The demon’s claws were fast and they hurt, they all sported bleeding cuts on various parts of their bodies. 

“She spits again!” Sadie warned Tim jumped in order to prevent her from doing so but the demon closed his claws around Tim’s throat and strangled him until he was struggling to breathe. She turned her head and spat two thorns out before she dropped Tim’s stertorous form to the ground. The thorn hit Maya’s jeans and her jacket and pinned her to the floor and when she tried to pull it out she screamed and her palm was burned. 

Liam ducked under an attempted hit and grabbed the demon by the arm to spin her around and push her into a bookshelf. The shelf fell over and the demon tumbled into the mess. Mike and Theo jumped at her again and managed some hits but then she raked her claws over Mike’s face and pushed him against the wall so he got knocked out while she also broke his arm. Sadie had perched on a shelf and now jumped her to hold her in place while an arrow seemingly came out of nowhere. Corey and Nolan appeared again, Nolan still with his raised crossbow, and the arrow would have hit if the creature had not managed to break free and grab the arrow before it could hit her. It spun around and twisted Sadie’s arm with one claw before it jammed the arrow in her stomach with the other claw. Sadie screamed and doubled over in pain. She fell to the ground and grabbed the arrow. It stuck deep inside her flesh and she had trouble pulling it out. 

The demon was far from over and turned around again to face Theo. She moved both arms again and the force wave that hit Theo was enough to send the chimera flying to the wall and right into the storage room. He landed between splinters of wood and brickwork and didn’t move anymore, knocked out by the hit.  She was about to jump Mason next when Liam roared his Alpha roar. It made the shop windows rattle and his Betas, even though they were hurt, raised their heads as good as they could, all eyes flashed. And when their Alpha attacked the demon again, they all howled. It gave Liam strength, it gave him power, and he saw Ever moving her hand. But the pain from the thorn had weakened her and she was bleeding a lot, even though Mason had pulled it out and tried now to free Maya. Liam glared at the demon and the thing used his little moment of distraction to rake her claws over his neck and then grab his chin in a painful grip. She looked at him with her dead eyes and then screeched right into his face. Liam gripped her arm and twisted it but her grip tightened and she almost broke his jaw. 

But suddenly she dropped him like a potato and tumbled back. An arrow stooked from her shoulder and she pulled it out with another blood-curdling scream before she jumped right through the shop display into the street and disappeared in the dark. 

They stared after the hole it left in the shop window and you only heard their ragged breaths and thumbing hearts. “What the hell was that?” Mason asked while he knelt next to Liam to check on his best friend. But Liam looked around and then jumped to his feet and ran over to Theo where he dropped to his knees again. 

“Theo, wake up!” He called out and grabbed his boyfriend’s lifeless body. He shook him gently. “Wake up! The thing’s gone. Open your eyes!” He cradled Theo in his arms and still no sign of waking up from the twenty-two-year-old. Liam heard his heartbeat and he still felt Theo in their mating bond, but it was weak. “Theodore! Open your eyes! Please!”

He cupped Theo’s face with his other hand and Theo’s head lolled to the side. Blood was seeping out of his ear and Liam’s heart almost stopped. “He needs medical attention!”  
He looked at his pack who all stood around him now and stared in shock. “Who?” Mason asked. “We don’t have Deaton here.”  
“I know where to go. A friend of mine, also a witch, owns a naturopathic office not far away from here. We just have to get him into the car. She will be there still.” Ever said and grimaced at the pain in her abdomen. She was pressing Tim’s jacket against her stomach and the linen was already stained with her blood. It wasn’t lethal but had to hurt like a bitch. 

Liam wasted no time and Tim and Mike helped him to get Theo into the truck. Despite Theo hating it when somebody else dove his truck, Liam let Mason drive while he stayed in the backseat with the still unconscious Theo. He held him the whole drive and listened to Theo’s heart. It was still beating but Liam heard the beats getting slower; Theo seemed to have internal injuries from his blast through the wall and his chimera heeling was not quick enough to heal everything at once. 

When the arrived at the doctor’s office and dragged themselves inside, Ever’s friend Briana, Brie for short, didn’t ask any questions. She just locked the front door and guided them into one of the examinations rooms where they put Theo on the examination table. His usual healthy complexion was pale now and the blood was still seeping out of his ear. 

“What happened?” Briana curtly asked while she instructed them to grab all the things she would need. A heart monitor, an infusion, and various other medical instruments. Liam didn’t care and only grabbed things when she told him so but then he grabbed Theo’s hand and held it, raised it and pressed it against his chest. He tried to take Theo’s pain but nothing happened, even when he tried harder. It made his stomach sink. 

Sadie, Mayam and Ever explained what happened and Brie nodded curtly before she went to work again. Soon enough she administered some medications into Theo’s bloodstream via infusion and then raised both hands and hovered them over his body. Blue and red lights appeared, some smaller green ones. “I am a witch, my magic is the healing kind.” She explained.  
“He has internal bleeding, his liver is perforated, his spleen is ruptured, several broken bones. There is one bone threatening to perforate his heart. He is a werewolf?”  
“Chimera.” Liam replied quietly. Her words hade made his heart beat wildly and he was even more afraid now. “Please, you need to heal.” He whispered to Theo and stroked through his hair. “Please heal and come back!”

“I don’t know what a chimera is, never had one on my table before, but I can give him a little bit time to heal.” She waved her hands and snapped her fingers and a soft rose-gold light appeared. It disappeared within moments and Sadie frowned.   
“What happened?”  
“I’m not a healer, that means I can’t heal every injury. I can only heal smaller ones, a broken arm when I channel all my energy and that is tiring enough. With his injuries, I can only push his body in the right direction. The rest has to come from him. The medication should help too. Still, it’s all him now.”

Liam watched his mate with glassy eyes. The fear of losing Theo was there because he heard his heartbeat steadily going slower and slower and slower and his hand getting cold. Their mating bond was strained now, Theo getting weaker and weaker and Liam could not bear this. It hurt to just think about what might happen.  
“He will heal. Theo’s tough. We all know that.” Tim tried to be positive and Liam tried a weak smile. He knew it came off more than as a grimace and he stopped trying to smile altogether.  
 Mason put his arm around Liam’s shoulder and leaned against him.  “He survived hell. This is nothing against that.” He tried to lift Liam’s spirit and Liam was grateful for it but the fear of losing his mate was too prominent, too big currently. 

“Are you all okay?” He asked in a raspy voice and looked around. They all looked bruised and broken and Brie was currently tending Ever’s wound. Sadie’s arrow wound had almost healed but they still looked beaten up.   
“We are all okay. And he will be too.” Corey said with a soft smile. He tried to be positive too and Liam was sure everybody, even the humans, could smell his desperation for Theo’s current state.  
“Can’t you like  operate on him or something?” His dad was a surgeon, he knew about emergency surgery.   
But Brie gave him a sad look.   
“In his current state that would kill him. He is too weak.”

Liam grimaced but nodded. That made sense and he wouldn’t put Theo’s life in danger any more than it already was. He stroked over Theo’s cheek again and smiled sadly. “Heard that, Dore? We’re waiting for you. You have to do a little bit of work too, you know? So come on, baby, let your healing kick in and open your beautiful eyes again.”

His little speech started a time of waiting. Brie gave them all some water to drink and gathered enough chairs to sit for all but Liam stayed next to the table, Theo’s hand in his, while he waited for his boyfriend to get better. But suddenly he frowned and reached out to wipe the thin trickle of blood away that sipped from the corner of Theo’s mouth. However, upon further inspection, he noticed this wasn’t blood and Liam gasped in shock. His fingers were silver.  
“Is that mercury?” Mike asked shocked and they all gathered around to see what had happened.  
“Mercury?” Ever asked worriedly and frowned.   
“It’s modified mercury.”, Corey stated and cast a nervous glance at Liam.  
Liam stared at Theo’s face, saw the stain of mercury on his mate’s pale lips, and his he was sure his heart stopped beating. That could not be happening! This was a nightmare and he would wake up soon, with Theo wrapped around him, and when he told his boyfriend, Theo would shake his head, would laugh softly, and tell Liam he would never leave him. And they would hug and cuddle and kiss and everything was fine again.

“What does mercury mean?” Tim asked.  
“It means a chimera is dying.” Liam’s eyes were filled with tears while he answered and he kept his eyes locked on Theo’s complexion, his grip on Theo’s hand tightened.   
“No way!” Maya’s eyes were filled with tears too. “That’s Theo! He doesn’t do that like that. He’s a fighter!”  
“He would never leave you! Never leave us! He doesn’t!” Sadie supported Maya and she was already crying.   
“This is not happening!” Nolan said and shook his head. “Never! Not Theo! Not like this!”

Liam looked up and right on the other side of the table stood Corey. He had grabbed Theo’s arms and his fingers tightened and then let loose again. He was silently crying and Liam knew Corey and Theo considered each other best friends. So this hit hard and Mason rubbed Corey’s back while he reached over and squeezed Liam’s arm. He said nothing, just showed his support, and Liam was grateful. He had no words himself right now, this was overwhelming and he felt like the floor had opened and he was falling. 

Brie checked some of Theo’s data and tried to look hopeful but Liam knew it was useless. They all, the wolves at least, heard how slow Theo’s heartbeat was already going and it was steadily dropping. And even the humans saw the mercury, saw that there was no healing happening, and they all thought the same. But nobody said it and Liam knew it was to spare his feelings. But it was the brutal truth. Theo was dying. 

Mason stepped closer and pulled Liam closer to rest his forehead against Liam’s temple and that’s when Liam noticed he was crying. A loud sob escaped him and while he still held Theo’s hand, he leaned against his best friend. Liam was crying, but he still kept his posture if that made sense. He would not completely break down now, he had to hold on for Theo. 

“Is there _anything_ we can do?” Mason asked Brie and she shook her head.   
“I can’t operate on him, he is too weak, as already stated, and his healing is too slow.” She refused to state the obvious as well and Liam was thankful for that too. Mason sobbed softly too and Liam knew after everything Mason had considered Theo a good friend too. To have it end like this was too much for the human. 

Mike looked absolutely devasted and Tim clung to him. He said nothing but when he looked at Liam, he shook his head and looked away. His cheeks glistened wetly in the light, Mike was crying too. Tim rubbed his back and didn’t hide the fact he was bawling his eyes out. 

Ever held stood next to Mike and Tim, Nolan by her side, and had her face hidden in her hands while sobs shook her whole body. Nolan hugged her and hid his face. Liam was sure he cried too.

Maya and Sadie had tears streaming down their faces but they were not sobbing and just looked at Theo as if they were silently saying goodbye.  
“We can’t stand here and do nothing.” The black haired wolf snarled.   
“Maya, if there was anything I could do, I would do it. But his healing is not even triggered yet, his body is too weak to heal. All I could do is prolong his time.” Brie said with a voice full of grief. Liam hated this but he knew she was honest.

This was so much worse than Hayden back then. Hayden had been painful but Theo would not only leave a hole in his heart, it would rip his whole heart out and leave back an empty shell. If Theo was gone, what else was Liam supposed to enjoy? Theo was the love of his life, he needed him like he needed air. How was he supposed to go on without Theo? Hayden had been his first love and he had been devasted, but this was his mate and if Hayden’s death left him like that back then, Liam would be destroyed by Theo’s death.

And then it clicked.

“There is nothing you can do but I can.” 

Everyone stared at him and Liam slowly tore his eyes away from his dying mate to look at the pack. He took a breath. “I can give him the bite.”  
“What?” His Betas called out.  
“Liam, that is risky and you have no idea if the bite takes! It could also kill him!” Briana added for consideration, shock audible in her voice. 

Liam kissed Theo’s hand and blinked against his tears, then he straightened his back. “Theo is dying. That’s what none of you wants to say but it’s a fact. We all hear his heartbeat getting slower and slower and when morning comes my mate will be dead.” A sob escaped his lips and he struggled to continue. After a deep breath, he managed. “So I have three options. Option No. 1: I do nothing and Theo dies. Because that is what’s happening right now. His chimera healing is not fast enough and he will never manage to heal on his own in enough time. Option No. 2: I give him the bite and the bite kills him. Theo is dead. Devasting but I tried to save him at least. Option No. 3: I give him the bite and it takes fast enough to heal him. Theo lives. So, out of all three options, two have the same outcome. What am I supposed to do? Think I want him to die? I feel him dying, I feel the mating bond getting weaker and weaker. I feel him disappearing and I hear his heart slowing down. Do you really think I can stand here and do nothing?” He had gotten louder at the end and now was crying again. “I can’t let him die without trying it. Please, understand that.”

His Betas looked at him for some moments and Liam felt like time stood still. And then it was Ever who raised a hand and closed it around her pack pendant. “We have your back, Alpha. Give him the bite and we give him all the energy he needs.” She said with a nod and answered for everyone because they all grabbed their pendants. Liam smiled under tears and then wiped his face with his sleeve. 

He looked down at Theo. “If you die, I will bring you back and kick your ass!” He told Theo and then leaned down to kiss his boyfriend softly before he straightened up again.   
“Before you bite him, let me do something!” Brie called out. “Corey, in the shelf behind you are some infusions. I need one of them.”  
“What are you doing?” Liam asked the doctor while Corey went to grab the little bottle.   
“Is that wolfsbane?” Corey asked and Brie nodded. “I’m buying him more time to heal. To make it short, I’m putting him in some sort of coma. If the bite takes and he heals, his body will diffuse the wolfsbane and he will wake up again. This only works for werewolves and it only works one time. If it doesn’t give him enough time, he will be dead, Liam.”   
Liam nodded. “Do it! It will take! It has to take!”

Brie infused the wolfsbane into Theo’s IV bag and then she nodded. Liam squared his shoulders and his eyes flashed red while his fangs grew. He let go of Theo’s hand but grabbed his arms and raised it to his lips. And then he bit down on Theo’s underarm, shortly underneath the tattoo. He got no reaction from Theo but when he stopped biting and pulled back, there was a deep bite mark on Theo’s skin. Brie hurried over to bandage the wound. “Everything to help him.” She explained and Liam nodded. Maya hastily grabbed a chair and Liam collapsed into it, every strength has gone for the moment. He took Theo’s hand again but now all they could do was wait.

They all returned to their chairs and the room grew silent. The medical monitors beeping only sometimes. None of them slept, they all wanted to be here to see what happened to Theo, wanted to be there. Liam stroked his thumb over Theo’s hand and tilted his head, watched the night grew darker and then a little bit lighter the closer morning came. 

Mason appeared next to him and handed him a can of orange lemonade from the vending machine in the hallway. “Drink something. I know you won’t be able to eat something but you need to at least drink.”  
Liam made a face. He didn’t want to.  
“Liam, see it that way, you and Theo are connected. If you stay hydrated, maybe that helps him too.” Mason bribed him and Liam groaned but accepted the can. He opened it and took a sip and only then he realized how dry his throat was and how thirsty he had been. The sugar of the lemonade helped his circulation and he drank the whole can as fast as he could. Mason handed him another one. Liam gladly accepted and gently butted his head against his best friend. “Thanks for being here.”  
“Anytime.” Mason said with a soft smile and hugged Liam. “I have gummy bears as well if you need some.”

Liam smiled weakly and opened the second can to gulp down a bit of it. He shook his head and looked back at Theo. And then he softly frowned and pushed the soda can in Mason’s hand before he got up.

“Liam?” Mason asked hesitantly and the others slowly raised their heads too to see what was going on. Liam stepped closer to the examination table again and gently took Theo’s arm where he bit down. He inspected the bandage and then tugged at it to pull it off. When the gauze was gone, Liam gasped.

“It’s healed! The bite is healed! Guys, the bite healed!” He looked around, a beaming smile on his face, and when he looked back at Theo and focused on his heartbeat, he noticed it was stronger. Still weaker than usual, but stronger than the whole night. Theo still had cuts on his face and his arms, but the bite was healed, and his skin didn’t look as pale as before.   
“Oh my god!” Liam said. “It took! The bite took!” 

He was overjoyed but then the realization set in and he staggered a bit on his feet. Mason steadied him and Liam looked at his best friend. “He’s alive.” He said and Mason nodded with a big smile.   
Brie raised her hands over Theo’s body again and this time the light was more bluish-purple. “He still needs a few more hours to rejuvenate but he will manage. He survived. Congratulations.” 

The pack broke out in a spontaneous celebration and Liam was hugged by every single Beta. He didn’t realize he was crying until Mason hugged him and then Liam suddenly couldn’t stop crying. He had his breakdown right then and there and cried his eyes out. Mason held him the whole time and stroked through his hair and when Liam was done, he slowly made Liam sit down again and lean back. “Now you should sleep a bit. If he wakes up, we will wake you up.”  
Liam nodded softly. “Okay.” He said and when he closed his eyes, he was fast asleep. Theo was safe and his body had reached a limit where he couldn’t put off sleep any longer. 

******  
Liam woke up without anybody waking up and when he did so, Theo was still asleep. The young Alpha stretched and slowly got to his feet. Corey sat on the floor next to him and wordlessly held out a cheeseburger for Liam. “Breakfast.” He said and Liam took the burger without asking another question. The first bite felt heavenly because now that he knewTheo would survive, his appetite was back and he had not eaten for almost twenty hours.

“How is he?” Liam asked while he chewed.   
“Okay, still asleep but Brie says he’s fine. His body needs to restore a lot of energy now.” Corey shook his head. “It's crazy, he’s a werewolf now.”  
“That makes you the only chimera now, you know?”  
“Yeah.” Corey grinned. “I’m the special snowflake now.” He gently poked Liam. “And how does it feel? To have your own bitten Beta?” He teased and Liam almost choked on his food. Good point! Theo was his only bitten Beta now, they had established a new bond now.

But before Liam could answer, Theo moaned softly and slowly moved and Liam almost dropped his empty burger wrapper.    
“Theo!” He was by his mate’s side immediately, the pack staying in the background for now. Theo blinked and then slowly opened his eyes fully.   
“Liam?” He asked and Liam nodded with a smile. “I’m here, T. We all are.” He gestured at the pack and Theo nodded slowly before he ran a hand over his face.  
“What happened?”  
“We fought the demon and it threw you through a wall.”  
“Shouldn’t I have a headache because of that?” Theo asked and slowly tried to move into a sitting position. Liam helped him and then steadied Theo. The older looked around. “Where are we?”  
“In the office of Ever’s friend Brie. We brought you here last night.” Liam smiled softly but then he bit his lip. “Uhm, Theo...”

“Is everyone okay? Are you all okay?”  
Theo worried about the Betas of course. They nodded but then Nolan pointed at the door. “We, uhm, will be outside. You talk.”  
“Might need this.” Corey said and placed a glass of ash on the counter. Mountain ash. And then he, just like the rest of the pack, left. Theo frowned.

“Everybody leaves when I wake up. What did I miss? How long was I asleep? Is it the year 3000 now? Are you a robot?”  
Liam shook his head and gently took Theo’s hands in his. His joy that the bite took was now pushed aside by the worry that Theo had not wanted to be turned and Liam knew it was too late now, but it was typical for him to do something and then worry later.

“I have to tell you something, Theo.”  
“Sure. What’s up? Are you okay?” Theo freed his hands and gently cupped Liam’s face. Liam almost melted but then he got a grip again and grabbed Theo’s hands once more, pulled them away from his face.  
“I am okay. But you weren’t. Theo, the demon blasted you through a  fucking wall and you were out like a light. I thought you were unconscious at first but you didn’t wake up and blood was seeping out of your ear. We brought you here and Briana found out you had internal bleeding and internal injuries. It was pretty bad.”

Liam looked at Theo and his eyes shimmered wetly. “She tried everything but it didn’t help. Your heartbeat was getting slower and slower. I had to do something, Theo.”  
“Yeah, okay. What did you do? Liam, you’re worrying me.”   
Liam looked into his mate’s green eyes, saw the frown on Theo’s gorgeous face, and squeezed his hands. “You were dying, Theo, and I couldn’t let you die! There was only one option and I really hope you don’t hate me for this!” His voice was shaking now.  
“Liam, I could never hate you. What did you do? It can’t be that bad.”  
“I bit you.”

Pause. 

“You did what?” Theo asked after what felt a lifetime, green eyes narrowing slightly while he spoke.   
“I bit you, gave you the bite. And it took.” He showed Theo’s arm where no bite could be seen. “I bit you right there. I had to save you.”  
“You bit me.” Theo murmured and pulled his arm away from Liam’s grip to slowly slide off the table. “You fucking bit me. You turned me.”  
He grabbed the glass with the ash and poured some on his hand, only to hiss at the burn and drop the ash on his hand.   
“Werewolves can’t touch mountain ash, T.” Liam bit his lower lip and said it quietly. 

“I know that! You...I am a fucking werewolf! Not a chimera. A fucking werewolf.”

“I am sorry, Theo, but it was the only option you would survive. Please, don’t be mad at me!” Liam begged.

Theo suddenly spun around and locked eyes with him. “Are you kidding me? Mad? Liam, my whole life I always felt like a copy! Like I was never good enough to be a real werewolf. I was the first chimera, yes, but I wasn’t the real thing. I didn’t have the speed, didn’t had the hearing, didn’t have the abilities of a werewolf. Everything I had was unnatural, was made in a fucking laboratory.” He shook his head. “And I wanted it. I wanted to be real. But then the whole shit went down and I somehow got used to being a chimera. But the wish to be more, to be better, was there. And now you just tell me you bit me? You turned me into a real fucking werewolf? That’s insane!” He shook his head and Liam made a tentative step towards him. 

“So, you are not mad?”

Theo fixated him and shook his head. “You saved my life and you made my biggest wish come true. I never believed it would happen and yet here I am. A real were...” He stopped. “What color are my eyes?”

“What?” Liam had a hard time following his boyfriend. “What color are my eyes? Are they blue?”

Theo flashed his eyes. Maybe it was wishful thinking but Liam felt like Theo’s eyes were even more beautiful than before. “They are the prettiest gold I’ve ever seen.” He replied and stepped closer to Theo to wrap his arms around him. Theo stared at him and then he let out a happy yell before he kissed Liam passionately. Liam laughed and wrapped his arms as tightly around Theo as he could. 

They only parted to breathe again and Liam nudged his nose against Theo’s before he hugged him and buried his face in the crook of Theo’s neck. “Welcome back, my beloved mate.” He muttered and Theo purred. “You are never allowed to scare me like that ever again!”  
Theo chuckled. “I promise.”

The door flew open, the Betas undoubtedly had eavesdropped, and suddenly the Alpha couple was in the middle of a big group hug that lasted longer than any group hug ever again.

“Welcome back, big brother!” The pack chorused and Theo laughed loudly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I waited for this chapter for so long, you guys have no idea! I am ecstatic about how it turned out and I hope you see it that way too. What do you say? I cannot wait to see what you all have to say about it :D


	33. Everything new or the same old?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo learns about being a real werewolf and the demon situation heats up.

“We have to make a plan.” Ever said and Mason agreed with her which he showed with several nods.  
“A plan for this demon situation.”

They were still gathered in Brie’s clinic and now that the fear of losing Theo was gone, they could focus on the matter at hand. But Liam shook his head.  
“What we need is to go home and take care of ourselves. Look at us. We rarely slept and even if we did, it was in uncomfortable chairs, we haven’t eaten anything but gummy bears lately and we had a very nasty fight with a damn strong demon, Theo almost died. We all had a rough night and we are not strong enough to go for the demon right now or even make a decent plan. We need food, a shower, we need sleep. There will come a time when we have to fight, no matter how exhausted we are, but right now it’s not, that’s for sure. And no matter how badly I want to track this demon now and stop it from killing further, a new confrontation would only get us killed.” He looked at his pack and slowly they all nodded. They were miserable and looked like the night of the living dead again. Ever looked like she wanted to argue for a moment but when she moved she grimaced at her stiff limbs and nodded.  
“Let’s go home.” She muttered.    
Liam nodded, then he looked at Brie. “Thank you for everything.”  
She shrugged. “I didn’t do much, without your bite it would have been a hopeless case. But if you ever need patching up again, come to me. Us supernaturals have to stick together.”  
“Right.” Liam nodded tiredly and then left the clinic with his pack. 

Theo stopped walking outside, took a deep breath and looked around. Mike clapped him on his back. “How does it feel to be a real werewolf, T?”  
The oldest of the pack turned his head and looked at him. “Do you know when you’re swimming and you’re diving for a while and when you surface again there is still water in your ears and every sound is a bit muffled? And suddenly your ears plop open again and you hear everything so much better? That’s what it feels like. I heard and smelled the things before but now it’s all so much more intense.”

“Sounds nice.” Corey said with a shy smile and Theo beamed at him.  
“It is.”  
“I love that you can hear everything better, that the grass is greener and the sky bluer for you, but we should really get our asses home.” Maya urged slowly. She looked as exhausted as Liam felt and he could only nod. Don’t get him wrong, he loved that Theo was so happy but Liam was so tired, he could just feel the ache of his bones and nothing else. So he ushered his pack into Theo’s truck and his own car which Maya had driven to the clinic and soon enough they were on their way home.

Liam let out a relieved sigh when the house came in sight and when he could finally park the truck and get outside, he rubbed his sore neck. He wasn’t even hungry and just declined Mason’s offer to make scrambled eggs. Liam just dragged his body upstairs and into his bedroom. Theo had followed him.

“Are you okay?” He asked and stepped behind Liam to wrap one arm around him.   
“Do you hear that?” Liam asked back and Theo frowned. “Huh? What?”  
“That’s our bed screaming for me.” Liam leaned against Theo and stifled a yawn. Theo chuckled.   
“Get into your pajamas and then get your ass to bed. Unless you want to take a shower first.”  
“Hell no.” Liam shook his head and his mate kissed his neck.   
“Okay, I will take one. Be right back.”

While Theo walked into the bathroom, Liam just stripped off his dirty and bloodied clothes and slipped into his pajamas. He had just sat down on the bed when his phone chimed with an incoming call. He groaned but fished the phone out of the pocket of his jacket crumbled on the floor. It was a video call from his mother and Liam loved her so much but he was not in the mood right now. Yet he could not not answer. She would worry. So he swiped his thumb and the face of his mother appeared on the screen.

“Hi, mom.”  
“Liam, honey...” Ilona stopped and frowned. “Jesus, baby, what happened to you? You look horrible.”  
“Geez, thanks, mom.”  
“Sweetie, you know I always think about you as absolutely amazing and perfect and good-looking, I am your mom, but you look tired and pale. What happened?”  
Liam sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. “We had a fight with a demon last night and Theo...Theo almost died. The only reason he didn’t was that I gave him the bite.”  
His mom was silent as she progressed what he told her. “Gave him the bite? Does that mean he is a werewolf like you now? Is he okay? Where is he?”  
“Yes, he’s a werewolf now.” Liam waved in the direction of the bathroom. “Taking a shower.”

He saw that his mom had a million questions running through her head and he wanted to answer all of them but not right now. “Mom. I can’t. Please.”    
Ilona looked at her son and she nodded. She had always been good at reading her son and right now she must see how exhausted he was. “Okay, baby. Take your time to rest. You need it, my brave warrior.”  
Theo appeared next to Liam, freshly showered and dressed in pajamas himself. “I got him, Ilona, and will make sure he sleeps.”  
Ilona nodded. “Okay, Theo. Take care of yourself.” She smiled and Theo smiled back before he took the phone from Liam’s grip and ended the call. He put the phone aside and cupped Liam’s face with his hands. 

“Look at me.” He said fondly and Liam followed his instructions. Theo smiled softly and then kissed Liam’s forehead before he turned his attention to the wet towel he had brought with him from the bathroom. “There’s no way I’m letting you shower in your state but I at least want to clean you from the dried blood on your skin.” He explained his actions to Liam and the younger smiled weakly and let Theo wipe the wet towel across his cheek and his neck to clean away the blood and the sweat.   
“I will put clean sheets on the bed tomorrow.” He promised Theo and the ex-chimera just nodded. “Yeah. yeah, the sheets are the last thing I’m worried about right now. Besides, I’m the one that slept in his truck with damp clothes and everything, you know I’m not picky. “ Theo switched to the other side, the dry side, of the towel to dry Liam’s freshly cleaned skin. When he was done, he pressed a soft kiss against Liam’s lips.  
“Lay down, come on.”   
Liam crawled under the blankets Theo had pulled aside for him and rolled on his back. Theo started to cover him with the blanket again and despite his tired state, Liam had to chuckle. “Are you tucking me in?”  
“I want you to be comfortable to let me.” Theo simply replied and when he was satisfied with his work he walked away to bring the towel back to the bathroom and then returned not a minute later. He turned off the lights and walked over to the bed.

Despite him having tucked Liam in before, he was able to slip under the covers with his boyfriend and Liam rolled on his side to snuggle against Theo as close as he could with a little sigh. Theo wrapped one arm around Liam and just pulled him even closer. Silence fell into the room, the curtains holding out the light of the day and even though both were exhausted, it took some time to actually fall asleep.

“You’re warmer now.” Liam mumbled. He had one hand flat on Theo’s chest, felt his steady heartbeat and used it as a reminder that his mate was still here with him.   
“I feel warmer too, yeah. As a chimera, I felt the cold much more than as a werewolf now.” He laughed softly. “I still can’t believe it, I’m a real werewolf now. That’s so unreal.”  
Liam hummed and stroked over the raising from Theo’s pendant under his shirt. “You almost died.” He suddenly said after they just laid in bed for a while. “I almost lost you.”  
Theo’s hold on him tightened and he pulled Liam closer to brush his lips against Liam’s forehead. “Shh, I’m here now. You saved me.”  
Liam buried his face in the crook of Theo’s neck and his grip on Theo’s shirt tightened. Even Theo’s scent had changed slightly and got richer. It appealed to something deep inside Liam and his wolf howled happily. _Mate._  
“I love you.” He whispered.  
“I love you too. Now, go to sleep, puppy. I will be here when you wake up.” Theo promised. Liam hummed and closed his eyes and thanks to exhaustion, he fell asleep not a minute later. 

He slept peacefully for a while but then the images started. He saw Theo getting tossed through the wall over and over again, heard his mate’s heartbeat echo in his ears in a painful way until it became quieter and quieter and finally stopped altogether. Their mating bond snapped in half and suddenly Liam was alone in the nothing and Theo was gone. The demon’s scream pierced the silence and then nothing made a sound anymore. 

Liam woke up with a scream and his heart was beating wildly against his chest. He had his nails dug into the blanket and he didn’t need to look down to know there were claws involved. His breathing was labored and his body was in full scared mood right now.

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m here.”   
Liam’s nightmare had woken Theo up too and he now stroked Liam’s back. “You were whimpering my name all the time. I’m here, Lee, I’m not dead.”  
He pulled Liam into his arms and Liam whimpered and wrapped both arms around Theo while they laid down again. He hid his face against Theo’s shoulder and probably would not let go for the rest of the night. Hot tears prickled in the corner of his eyes and then started to stream down his cheeks. And Theo just held him all the while and never showed any signs of letting go. He just draped the blanket around them again and he held Liam close to his body, even when Liam’s sobs died down. Liam concentrated on Theo’s heartbeat and he fell asleep again to the feeling of his boyfriend’s safe arms around him.

******  
Liam woke up hours later with Theo still wrapped around him and still asleep. The blanket was tightly wrapped around them both and Liam noticed how warm he was. He naturally ran hotter as a werewolf but Theo had always been a more balanced temperature to him. Now as a real werewolf as well, Theo ran just as hot and the both under the covers turned out to be almost too warm.

 Liam wiggled a little bit and raised his head. He chuckled softly. Somehow they had ended at the edge of the bed. Theo could impossible move anymore back, he would fall off the bed. Liam’s back was plastered against Theo’s chest and the young Alpha now rolled back into the middle of the bed and pulled Theo closer. Theo followed and grumbled when he was woken up by the movement. 

“Morning.” He muttered and curled around Liam again.  
“Morning.” Liam replied and ran his hand through Theo’s hair. “How are you feeling?”  
“I’m feeling...” Theo raised his head. “...amazing, really.” He tilted his head and listened to all the sounds he heard in the house. “Corey and Mason are already up, as well as Tim and Sadie. Mason dropped the milk carton right now.”  
Liam laughed. “Heard that too, yeah. Especially the high pitched scream.”  
He grinned and Theo smirked back. “It still feels so unreal to me.” He confessed with a sigh.   
“I know.” Liam leaned in and kissed him. “I’m happy about it.”  
“Me too.” Theo added with a smile. They just laid there and looked at each other, soft smiles on their faces, for a while, basked in this new morning.

“Okay, time for a shower.” Liam kissed Theo one last time before he slipped out of bed and into the bathroom. The hot shower he took felt amazing and he gathered his thoughts while he stood under the hot spray of water. They still had this demon around but he also had to focus on his pack. That thing was strong and he had to make sure nobody else almost died. It was his duty, his job as Alpha, to protect all of them while also vanquish the demon.   
Liam groaned and ran his hands through his wet hair. He let the water run down on him for a few more moments, then he stepped out of the shower and dried off. The young Alpha brushed his teeth and when he left the bathroom again, Theo kissed his cheek while he bypassed Liam on his way to the bathroom. Liam smiled and then walked to the wardrobe to get dressed before he sat on the window seat and looked outside. 

When Theo walked back into the room and got dressed as well he joined Liam in the window seat and leaned against the opposite wall. Their legs touched and they were silent for a while until Liam decided to voice the thought he had in mind for a while now. “Why did you never ask me for the bite when you wanted to become a werewolf so badly?”

He turned his head to face Theo and Theo leaned his head against the wall and let out a breath. “I considered it, in the beginning. But you never made any comment about this or showed any motivation that you wanted a bitten Beta and I thought it would be unfair of me to put you on the spot. Because I learned to deal with being a chimera, arrange myself with it, and it would be a bit unfair to demand this from you.”   
“We could have talked about it.”   
“Liam, really? If I had told you I wanted to become a werewolf, would you have bitten me just like that?”  
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe? After some time to think about it. If it would have made you happy.”  
“I have you, that’s all I need to be happy.”  
“Sap.” Liam laughed and Theo kicked his leg. Liam pulled his leg away and reached out to grab Theo’s ankle. It soon turned into a little playful wrestling fight.

“You’re stronger now.” Liam realized when they toppled to the floor and Theo was on top of them. He gripped his boyfriend’s arms and used his strength to roll them around and pin Theo. “But I’m still stronger.” He smirked and his eyes glowed red.   
Theo stared up at him and immediately his own eyes glowed gold. “You are, Alpha. Doesn’t mean I won’t protect you with my everything.”   
Liam leaned down and ran his nose along Theo’s jaw and his Adam's apple. Theo sighed softly and tilted his head to expose his throat to Liam. “I know you will.” Liam promised him and pressed a gentle kiss to Theo’s pulse point. “Now get up, we need to eat something. I am starving.”

“When was the last time you ate?” Theo asked when Liam got up and pulled him to his feet and Liam really had no idea anymore. He shrugged while they left the room and Theo frowned.  
“Liam Emerson!”  
“I know, I know, but I had other things to worry about.”  
“That’s not an excuse!”  
“You dying is not an excuse?”  
“Not at all! I’m not as important as you are to this pack.” 

Liam reacted without really thinking about it and pushed Theo against the nearest wall in the hallway. He growled. “Never. say. that. again. It’s stupid and couldn’t be further from the truth. You are an essential part of this pack and we all need you. Without you, I would be just as lost, so don’t you dare to ever put my health over yours and cast your wellbeing aside. Got it?” He snarled and Theo’s eyes widened.   
“Yes, Alpha.”

Liam watched his first bitten Beta and then surged forward to capture Theo’s lips in a bruising kiss. Theo groaned into the kiss and then his fingers were in Liam’s hair and he returned the hard kiss just as passionate. 

“Yeah, okay, you’re definitively feeling better now. Glad to know. But seriously, how are you even breathing?”  
Liam loved Mason and saw him basically as his brother. But right now Mason was interrupting him proving a point to Theo and he growled lowly before he tore himself away from the kiss and turned his head. “I’m just making something very clear. Also, you and Corey are much worse.”  
“Are not!” Mason argued back.  
“Are too.” Corey appeared on top of the stairs. “And you know it. Stop teasing the Alpha couple!” He smiled at Liam and Theo. “How are you feeling?”  
“Good.” Both replied in unison and shared a loving smile. 

Together the four of them walked into the kitchen to grab some of the already prepared food. Liam sat at the table and wolfed down the pate of pancakes he had fixed himself.   
“Wow, you are hungry.” Tim said in awe.   
“Liam, how long haven’t you eaten?” Sadie inquired and Liam rolled his eyes.  
“I already lectured him about that one.” Theo filled her in an dug into his own plate of pancakes as well.   
More and more members of the pack walked into the kitchen and when they all were there, Maya breached the subject. “Okay, now that we have been fed and got some hours of much-needed sleep: What about the demon?”

Liam pushed his empty plate aside and leaned back but Ever beat him to saying something. “Mason and I checked the books and we were not able to find this special kind of demon. Demons who have some traits of our demon but not all. If I didn’t know better, I’d say somebody took the most terrifying traits from demons and designed themselves a demon to their liking.”  
“And what if that was the case?” Theo asked. “I mean, the Dread Doctors created supernaturals to their own liking. Why not do it with demons too?”  
“Possible.” Mason agreed with Theo’s thesis. “But why?”  
“To fight other supernaturals?” Liam offered.   
“What makes you think that?” Nolan inquired.  
“The way that thing reacted to me. It called me werewolf at first, Alpha second. It reacted to what I am, you know? Kind of gave away the vibe it went for the species, I’m not really sure why.”  
“A gut feeling.” Maya stated and Liam nodded. “Yep.”

“What’s the plan?” Mike asked from where he sat on the counter, one arm braced on Tim’s shoulder.   
“We still stick together, no one goes out alone. We know this things targets witches, so I’m sure the witches have their own security measures, right?” Liam asked Ever and she nodded.   
“I’d still love to finally find this demon and kill it.”  
“Even if we find it, we need a better plan than just fight it. That almost killed one of us last time.” Tim threw in.   
“We have to be careful, that’s the first rule. Be careful!” Liam warned his pack.

******  
 Despite Liam warning his pack about the dangers of the demon, it proved to be unnecessarily in the next days. There were no attacks, no dead witches, or any other kind of kill that might be supernaturally related.  
“Maybe we scared the thing? Or at least gave it a warning?” Mike assumed but Liam really was not so sure of that. That thing didn’t look like it was easily scared and after it left Theo very much for dead, why should it be scared of the pack? It proved to be stronger.   
“We still keep our guards up.” Liam told the Betas.

But the lack of attacks and deaths gave Liam also time to focus on Theo. His boyfriend was newly bitten after all and even though Liam was less worried about Theo losing control, he could imagine it may be different for Theo to reconnect with his wolf now instead of his chimera. When he voiced his thoughts to Theo, however, his mate brushed it off.  
“Nah, I’m fine, puppy, stop worrying so much about me. Everything is great and me and my wolf, we’re working.”  
To Liam, Theo took this a bit too easily and the full moon was slowly coming up. So no way he would trust this charade. He could see through Theo and something was telling him there was more to this story. 

So that night he cornered Theo in their room. “You’re taking this way too lightly! You were used to having a chimera inside and now there is a real wolf. I can’t compare what having a chimera feels like, but I sure know how being a freshly turned werewolf feels like. And I would be mad at you for trying to lie to me when I wouldn’t have the impression that you’re trying to lie to yourself as well.”   
He addressed the issue he was having and put both hands on Theo’s shoulders. “So I’m asking you again, how are you feeling?”  
Theo looked at him and Liam knew he was about to say everything was fine again but suddenly his shoulders sagged. “I don’t know. I mean, I feel good, healthy, I hear even better than before, all my senses are better than before. But my wolf...I thought it would be easy to connect with him because I did it before but it’s not working. He’s not jumping out, obviously, but he’s not showing himself. It’s hard to explain.”  
Liam nodded, he kind of understood that. “I felt like this, like a little bit, when I became an Alpha. There was just this whole new dynamic and I wasn’t so sure what to make out of this. I was never a chimera but from what you told me, from what I saw, your chimera seemed to be a tool for you. Something the doctors designed to make you better, advanced. Your wolf now is not a tool but could be your partner and I think this is what you need to learn.”  
Theo sighed. “So what? Will you chain me up in the stable during the full moon?”  
“Hell no! It’s not your control I’m worried about. It’s more the relationship with your wolf. You are the most controlled person I’ve ever encountered.” 

It gave him an idea.

“And maybe that’s the problem.”  
“What?” Theo asked with a frown.   
“Your wolf, your inner animal, is not something that works with lines and plays by the book. It is wild, it is animalistic. Yes, you have to control it, but you try to force it into a scheme and I’m not sure this can work with the wolf inside you now. He is not a scientific experiment, T, he is a real animal.”  
The twenty-two-year-old sighed. “So what’s your idea? I’m sure you have one.”  
“Well, not exactly. Maybe just work on having you reconnect with your wolf. The bite gave you a fresh start, a completely clean plate. Now you have to use it.” He smiled softly. “Have you tried to fully shift yet?”  
Theo shook his head and Liam clapped his hands. “Well then, go on!”

Theo got up from the bed and stripped off all his clothes. Liam sat cross-legged on the bed and watched his mate kneeling down and closing his eyes. He saw Theo furrow his brows after a while but no matter how long they waited nothing happened and finally Theo’s eyes snapped open again. “I can’t fully shift anymore!” It sounded dull and there were so many emotions in his eyes when he looked at Liam. Liam sighed and slipped on the floor to hug Theo. 

“I’m sure you can, you just need to find a new way to make it work.” He comforted Theo and wrapped both arms around him. But Theo pushed him away and jumped to his feet.   
“Have you not seen this? I can’t fully shift anymore! This was one of the easiest things after I learned how to do it and now I can’t do it anymore! What is this bullshit?”  
“Theo, relax. Getting riled up won’t help you.” Liam said calmly and Theo glared at him.  
“Easy for you to say, Mr. Fullshift!”  
“Hey, you know I had to learn it too, so why should you not be able to learn it again?”  
“Because not every werewolf can shift! Theo the chimera could shift but obviously Theo the werewolf is not that lucky.” He still glared at Liam and Liam frowned.   
“Are you mad at me now?”  
“No!” Theo snapped and then grabbed his clothes to put them on again. “But I guess we have to rely on your ability for a full shift right now.”

******  
Theo sulked for the next days. Liam now had a mate in a bad mood and a demon to worry about, even though the latter was still nowhere to be seen. On top of that, they all returned back to college and had their normal life as well.

"Theo’s still having a hard time getting over him not being able to do a full shift anymore, huh?” Sadie asked one day when she left the girls locker room after lacrosse practice and met with Liam and Ever outside.  
Ever shrugged. “I get him. If I lost my magic, I would be pissed too.”  
“Hm, I just wish there would be something to help him. I’m sure he still has the ability, he just needs to find a different access to it.” Liam was more lost in his thoughts than focused on the talk when he said that.

Next moment he was tackled into the nearest wall and the claws of the demon dug into his arms. The creature had come out of nowhere and Liam really had not seen it coming. He roared now and his eyes flashed while he fought the thing off. Sadie howled behind them and jumped at the demon’s back to pull it away from Liam. Legs wrapped around the thing, they both stumbled back and Sadie yelped when he back collided with the opposite wall. 

The demon screeched and tried to grab her and when it succeeded, it threw Sadie across the hallway. She landed on the floor and slid down a few. Liam growled and then he jumped the demon. Their claws dug into each other’s bodies and they rolled around the hallways, intended to rip each other apart.  
“Werewolf, no powers, but a nice meal.” The demon hissed and licked what resembled her lips. Bile rose in Liam’s throat and he barely was able to not throw up at the sheer image in mind. 

Sadie was back and her claws scratched the demon’s shoulder deeply. Black blood or liquid poured out of the wound and the demon screamed in pain. She scratched Sadie’s cheek and went for slashing Liam’s throat but Ever raised her hand and telekinetically held her hand away from the Alpha’s throat. “Don’t you dare!” She growled.

The demon looked at her. “Witch!” It hissed and then ripped from Ever’s invisible hold and leaped up in the air. It was faster in front of Ever and flung her to the ground than either Liam or Sadie could react. Ever screamed in fear when the demon towered over her. It leaned close to Ever’s face and sniffed her and Ever shivered in disgust and fear. And then the demon raised both hands, obviously about to slam down and squash Ever’s skull but the young witch raised both of her hands in defense. Flames shot up and the fastly engulfed the demon. It screamed and jumped away from Ever.

The screams echoed off the walls while the demon jumped around and tried to put out the fire but the flames didn’t die down. And with one final scream, the demon went up completely in flames and burned brightly for a moment before it fell apart to nothing more than black ash. 

They stared at the pile of ash on the floor and only their labored breathing and their fast beating hearts could be heard but then Sadie suddenly screeched. “Fire? Fire? That thing was killed by fire?”  
Liam knew what she meant. It almost seemed comically compared to what they had done in the store. The creature had been so strong and just igniting it would have done the trick?  
“Sorry for not thinking about it when a thorn was literally stuck in my side.” Ever dryly replied.  
Liam slowly got up. “Everybody okay? Yeah? Then let’s go home as fast as possible.”

They wasted no time in staying behind any longer and made sure to drive home as fast as possible. The rest of the pack needed to know what was happening. When they entered the pack house, they literally wasted no time to gather the pack and tell them what happened.   
“The demon is dead?” Theo asked with a frown.  
“Yeah, thanks to Ever. Great work, by the way!” Sadie praised her and she smiled.  
“You don’t look too happy about that, Theo.” Corey realized and Theo shrugged.  
“It’s just...It’s a bit anti-climatic, don’t you think? That thing almost killed me and beat all of us. I know Ever is a very powerful witch but just a little bit of fire and that’s it? I’m not sure, this feels strange, and not like a real win.”  
“Whatever, we still have to be on alert. Whoever created this demon may still be out there.” Mason concluded and Liam nodded. “Right.”

He walked over to Theo and wrapped his arms loosely around Theo’s neck. Theo immediately wrapped his arms around Liam’s waist and pulled him on his lap. That was something Liam had noticed after Theo had been turned: He was more about touching than before. Liam was aware Theo was touch-starved and he worked on giving Theo as a much physical contact as possible but since becoming a werewolf Theo searched him out even more often than before. Liam loved it. Theo’s arms were where he felt the safest. 

He now leaned his head against Theo’s and when the group slowly dispersed and they were alone, Theo squeezed Liam’s waist. “Can I talk to you for a second?”  
“Always. What’s up?”   
Theo just grabbed Liam’s hand and let him into their bedroom. He sat on the bed and pulled Liam on his lap. “I’m not mad at you, you know that right? Because I feel like you might think I’m holding you responsible for me not being able to fully shift anymore and that is not the case. I’m just disappointed because that was the only thing really cool about being a chimera, aside from the power aspect. The only thing I really had for myself and nobody could take from me if that makes sense. I feel like I kind of lost a friend.”  
Liam smiled fondly. “I know you are not mad at me and I never thought you were. I get why you are so disappointed. But I still think we can work this out. You helped me with my wolf, now I’m helping ou with your wolf. You have to learn what everybody else in this pack had to learn: To start a partnership with your wolf.” 

Liam smiled softly and gently kissed Theo. “I mean.” He said after they pulled apart again. “Think of Hayden.”  
“Liam, Hayden is the last person I want to think about. Especially after you kissed me.”  
“Shush! Hayden was a werewolf-werejaguar chimera, right? She was faster than me and could jump higher and further than me and she probably was stronger than me even before she was turned. But after she got the bite, she kept those attributes. My theory is, that a chimera doesn’t lose their abilities when they become real weres, so I do think you can still shift. It just takes a new access now and we can find it together.”

Liam got up from Theo’s lap and started walking back and forth in front of the bed. He needed to think and brainstorm and he could do it better when he moved. “When do you feel your wolf the most? When is he the most prominent?”  
“When I’m around you. He reacts to you being close. My wolf...likes you as close as possible.”   
Liam smiled. “My wolf likes to have your wolf as close as possible too. So let’s start with this.”  
“While I think our bond is incredibly strong, I am not sure how this connection could transfer into my ability to fully shift.” Theo said thoughtfully and Liam had no real idea either if he was being honest. 

He sighed and sat next to Theo again. “Maya and Ever had the idea of some kind of spiritual journey, induced by a herbal tea, to find your inner animal.”  
“Liam?”  
“Yeah?”  
“There is no way in hell I will drink herbs that Maya harvested and Ever mixed into some sort of hallucination tea!”  
Liam’s lips quirked into a smile. He should have expected this. “I really want to help you.” He said and leaned his head against Theo’s shoulder.   
“I know you want that. It’s okay, baby, I just have to accept that I’m not able to fully shift anymore. I will get used to it after a while.”  
“I don’t want you to get used to it. I want you to be able to transform into this beautiful black wolf again.” Liam muttered and Theo chuckled.   
“Now you really sound like a puppy. A puppy who is not allowed to play with the toy he wants to play with.”

Liam scoffed. “Maybe your wolf just needs a challenge.”  
Theo raised an eyebrow. “A challenge of what kind?”  
Liam’s mind was already reeling with all kinds of ideas. “I’m not sure yet but I will think of something. We will develop some training method for you, like a dog trainer does too for example.”  
“Liam, if I ever come home and you have a course set up in the garden where I have to jump over little obstacles and crawl through a tube, you will sleep on the couch for the next three years.”  
“Three years? Think you can sleep without me for that long?”  
“In that case, I would manage, so don’t you dare!”  
“Buzzkill. How to train your mate would have been an awesome exercise program for young and old. NO!” Liam screamed when Theo tackled him to the bed and tickled him in revenge for his cocky words. 

******  
Saturday Morning came and Liam found himself in the garden. He sat cross-legged on the patio and just listened to the nature awakening around him. Even a busy city like Seattle had its quiet moments where you could only hear the birds singing in the early morning and only a few people who were awake yet. Koda had accompanied him outside but soon enough curled into a tiny ball next to Liam and returned to sleep.  
“Sometimes I think you’re more of an armadillo than a dog the way you curl up.” Liam muttered and watched the sleeping puppy. He reached out and stroked over the soft fur on Koda’s head with two fingers. Koda yipped in his sleep. Adorable.  
“And you’re missing the beauty of nature, buddy. You and everyone else asleep. I bet it is wonderful to walk through the woods right now.”

It gave him an idea and he carefully picked up Koda to carry him inside and upstairs into his and Theo’s bedroom. He gently placed the puppy next to Aka in their basket and then walked over to the bed. Theo was still fast asleep, blanket wrapped around him and he had rolled on his stomach in the middle of the bed when Liam left. 

“Wake up, we’re going for a morning run!” Liam cheerfully announced and shook Theo’s shoulder. Theo grumbled but kept his eyes close and just shrugged Liam’s hand off his shoulder. “Theo! Wake up! It’s beautiful outside, we need to go for a run!”  
Theo grumbled again and pulled the blanket over his head. As if that would keep Liam from waking him up. It only fueled Liam more and he tugged at the blanket. Theo’s surprisingly strong grip showed Liam his boyfriend was more and more waking up and didn’t intend to give up his blanket. 

“Get up!”

Liam stepped to the end of the bed and grabbed Theo’s leg through the blanket and tugged at it. Slow at first but when Theo still didn’t get up, he used more force and a third time when the first two didn’t work in his favor. Liam pulled, Theo yelped and grabbed the headboard but was no match for an Alpha’s strength and Liam could pull him out of the bed and onto the floor.  
“You are evil...I hate you.” Theo muttered darkly and glared at Liam. He rubbed his eyes and Liam just smiled innocently.   
“Get dressed, we’re going for a morning run!”

Theo muttered some profanities and Liam snickered while he got dressed. “Watch your profanity.”  
“I swear to god, I should kick your ass for this!”  
Liam just grinned and waited for Theo to finally get dressed in proper running attire. When they finally could leave the house, Liam chose the path to the park and fell into an easy jog. Theo followed still with some grumbling but soon held the same pace as Liam. 

“Isn’t this beautiful? The birds and the crisp morning air?”  
“Yeah, nature lover, absolutely amazing. Why did you have to wake me for that?”  
“Oh, come on, don’t be such a grump. Enjoy the exercise, enjoy the city awakening around you. And more important: Enjoy the time with me.”  
“That’s unfair.” Theo scolded with a groan. “I can’t say anything mean about the last thing.”  
Liam grinned and jogged closer to Theo. “Damn right you can’t. And now, my gorgeous mate, catch me. Maybe you get a reward if you succeed.” He pecked Theo’s cheek and then dashed down the park. 

He ran alone at first and while his wolf liked the running itself, it soon growled because nobody was chasing him. But then he heard Theo behind him and a smile spread across Liam’s face and he made a sharp right turn to escape Theo’s grip. He gradually picked up his speed to give Theo a real challenge. Maybe that’s what his wolf needed to really come through. Liam had not shifted yet but it was only a matter of time before he would return to this measure to really challenge Theo.

They ran through the park and Liam only slowed down to not fall over the many dogs a dog walker had gathered around herself. That was enough for Theo to finally catch him and he jumped Liam full speed. Both tumbled to the ground and rolled around on the cold hard earth but they laughed.  
“Got you!” Theo said with a grin and pinned Liam to the ground. His eyes flashed gold and Liam purred. He tilted his head and Theo leaned down to kiss his neck and ran his nose across it. “You smell so fucking good.”He muttered and moaned softly. “Better than ever before.”  
“Your wolf really recognizes mine. As mate. As a partner.” Liam mumbled and ran his hand through Theo’s hair. “And together we will get your full shift back. You’re not alone in this.” He promised Theo and groaned softly when Theo gently nibbled at his neck.    
“I know, Lee. I know I have you. And I’m grateful for it.”  
Theo grabbed his jaw in a firm yet soft grip and then kissed Liam, licked into his mouth. Liam moaned and parted his lips all too willingly. 

******  
The full moon was getting closer and closer but before the pack could even focus on that, they had their normal college life and at the same time the looming thread of someone creating demons to kill people. It was almost like back in Beacon Hills and Liam wasn’t so sure he liked the comparison. And his gut feeling had him on edge, always watched out for anything that might happen.

And yet, in the end, it came all so very different than he expected. It started with the pack gathering together after a day full of classes, studying in the library, and training. They were on their way to the cars when they spotted a figure leaning against Liam’s car. The pack stopped walking and eyed what appeared a young woman their age with wavy blonde hair who looked up from inspecting her nails on her right hand. Her maroon painted lips curled into a cruel smile and Liam tensed.

“So you are the pack that killed my demon.” She addressed the group and pushed herself away from the car. When she stepped under the light of the street light Liam saw she was pretty but the snarl on her face made her look dangerous and ugly at the same time.   
“Who are you?” He asked and she raised her index finger.  
“I’m asking the questions or rather, I’ll do the talking. Because, Liam, let’s be real here: You are not that much of a talker. Or a thinker for that matter. But I will try to make things simple so even you will understand it. I’m Celia and you are in my way. See, my demons had fun with the witches until you showed up and had to kill one of mine.”

Ever frowned. “Celia? I thought you moved away with your parents. Why are you killing some of our kind? They were witches, just like we are.”  
“Because they underestimated me! I am better and they all told me I’m just average! Well, the average conjured demons that stole their powers and killed them so who is average now?”  
“You all did this for revenge? Because they slept on you?” Sadie asked. “Girl, you need a good therapist. And some good medication.”   
Celia snarled at her and Sadie growled back while she showed her fangs.   
“Aw, cute!” The witch laughed. “I’m not scared of any of you! You got nothing on me.”  
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that!” Theo told her with snarl and she glared at him,  
“Oh, you. Theo. I was devasted when you didn’t die. It looked so pretty how my little demon tossed you through the wall. Unfortunately, your Alpha here turned you into another one of these ankle biters but don’t worry I will gladly summon a spear to ram it through your heart and take your life out for good this time!” She spat and Liam growled. Nobody threatened his mate!

Celia glanced at him and her eyes turned even colder. “Alpha.” She looked like she had seen a pesky little creature. “I wouldn’t growl so much if I were you. On the other hand, you werewolves don’t do much more. All brute strength but aside from that? Huffing and puffing? In the end, you are just sprouting hair and claws while we witches have the power to decide about life and death. Which brings me to my visit here.”

While she talked, she strode, made big movements with her arms, and all in all celebrated herself. She loved this role she played right now, on this stage she set up herself. Even Peter Hale would have been awestruck by her building herself up and celebrating a victory that wasn’t one. Liam felt his claws prickle and slowly extract, his wolf was ready to pounce on her and rip her apart.

“While I would have no problem with slaughtering all of you, werewolves don’t really fit in my concept right now. So I would be willing to make a deal. I let you leave with all limbs attached where they should be, and all you have to do for that is hand over Ever.”  
The pack gasped and Maya and Sadie shielded Ever with her bodies while they both flashed their eyes and growled. “No way!” They said in unison and the other weres got ready to fight too. Ever herself raised her chin and balled her hands into fists. Flames were igniting inside her balled fists. “You want me? I’m not going down without a fight, bitch!”  
Liam roared and his eyes flashed. “Not gonna happen! And if I have to tear you apart myself! Don’t you dare to touch Ever.” 

Celia watched the pack and especially Liam and then she smirked cruelly again and crossed her arms in a very elegant way. She put her index finger against her chin as if she was thinking about something.   
“You know, Liam, I like experiments and I was always curious how long it would take for an Alpha to freeze to death.” She raised her finger from her chin and snapped her fingers and Liam gasped when an ice-cold feeling shot through his chest. It felt like his blood had turned into ice water and was rushing through his veins. His breath came out in a smoky cloud as if it was icy cold outside but it was only Liam freezing. He hunched over and grabbed his chest.  
“Liam!” Theo stepped closer but Celie raised her index finger of her other hand in warning. “One step closer and he dies even faster! That goes for all of you!” She cackled and watched Liam sink to his knees while his body turned colder and colder.

Breathing started to hurt and his beating heart was trying to kickstart his healing but his body was freezing too fast. His lips turned blue and Liam shivered violently. He glanced up at her and tried to get up again but found he couldn’t move anymore. His body wasn’t reacting to any command anymore, aside from shivering violently. His teeth were chattering and he groaned at the pain spreading through his body. 

Celia grinned victoriously and made a step towards the group. “Ever, don’t even think about fighting or your beloved Alpha is dead! This is where it hurts you, right? Your Alpha? _Your big brother_. Gosh, you are such sappy idiots. Depending on such a weakling. Look at him! On the floor, shivering for his life!” She scoffed at Liam and he would have loved to curse her out but he couldn’t form any words. 

The pack was at a loss. She had Liam in her claws and they could not attack. It was too risky to kill Liam and even when he was an Alpha, this cold was too much even for him.   
“Ever, I’m waiting! Come here now and you and Liam will die a fast death! If now I will make it as painful as it can be. And I make all of you watch! Theo, would you like to see your sister rip out Liam’s heart?”

Theo snapped at her and she clasped her fingers again and Liam groaned in pain when a new wave of cold swept through his veins. He heard Theo whine at his mate and he knew Theo felt part of his pain and it killed Liam even more. He needed to fight this but he was so weak already. 

A howl rang through the night and a ghostly wolf ran towards Celia and snapped at her arm. She screeched in surprise and jumped back. Enough for her hold on Liam to break and he fell to the floor, still incredibly cold but there was no new wave of coldness at least. 

Liam had trouble raising his head but he saw the ghost wolf snap at Celia and she raised her hands to defend her. A wind picked up, whirled around her, and suddenly she was gone and the wolf growled one last time before it turned around and trotted across the parking lot to a ghostly figure. The figure was surrounded by glistening white and silver and Liam recognized her. “Mckenna.” He gasped and the spirit of the former Alpha looked at him before she nodded and then disappeared as if she had never been there.

“Liam!” Mason was right next to him and rubbed his back, just like Theo fell to his knees next to him and wrapped his jacket around Liam. “Hey, Liam, hold on!” He begged his mate. “We will get you somewhere warm.”  
He and Mason pulled Liam to his feet since Liam was still not able to move by himself. His body still hurt like hell and it felt like his bones would shatter any moment. He whined in pain when Mason and Theo put him in the truck and Theo tossed Mason the keys.  
“Take us home, I don’t care about the truck!” His first bitten Beta ordered and wrapped his arms around Liam on the backseat. “Lee, do you hear me? You need to hang on, okay? We take you home as fast as possible and you will get warmer again. Just hold on, okay? Don’t follow in my footsteps and almost die in my arms, please?” He begged Liam and stroked through his hair during the whole drive. Liam was barely conscious at this point and tried to nod but didn’t really succeed. He was just so tired.  
“Don’t fall asleep, Lee! You have to fight a little bit longer. You can do that, you are a fighter!” Mason encouraged him.  
Liam groaned in pain and the gasped when he felt some pain leaving his body. Theo had closed his hand around Liam’s wrist and black veins sneaked up his arm. Liam had an awesome mate.

Once at the pack house the whole pack was gathering around and they all wanted to help. “We will do the same thing as if somebody was suffering from hypothermia because that’s basically what’s happening. Theo! Strip down and wrap yourself around him in the bed. Maybe you can take his pain and it will kickstart his healing.” Mason ordered after they had brought the shivering Liam into their bedroom and stripped him down. 

“Should we bring him tea?” Tim asked helplessly while Theo stripped down and crawled under the blankets with Liam. Liam whimpered and Theo shivered as his warm skin came in contact with Liam’s icy skin but he still wrapped himself around Liam and held him.   
“That could overload his circulation and do more harm than good.” Corey cut in.  
“Well, can he shift? A wolf runs hotter.” Nolan suggested.  
“A full shift would kill him right now.” Theo said solemnly and kissed Liam’s forehead. “Liam, please! We need you to heal. **I** need you to heal! You don’t have to copy me on everything, you know? I almost die and then you almost die.” He laughed wetly and tears glistened in his eyes. “Please, baby!”

Liam shivered violently and his teeth chattered but he managed to get something out that sounded like _hurt_. Everything hurt. Every fiber of his being was infiltrated by the cold. He didn’t seem to get better and even though the pack had retreated and given the Alpha couple time to heal, his state didn’t go up.

Theo grew desperate. “Liam, please! I need your help! Tell me what to do! Tell me what you need! You are so fucking cold and I can’t run hotter than I’m doing right now. I’ll get you another blanket.”  
He wormed his way out of the blanket cocoon they had created for Liam and covered him with yet another blanket before he felt Liam’s cheek and his forehead. Theo sighed and lowered his head. “I really want to help you but I don’t know how. There is nothing I can do anymore. Please, I don’t believe in god, but if anybody is fucking up there or around or wherever, help me! Liam can’t die! I can’t let my mate die!”

The twenty-two-year-old leaned over Liam and kissed his forehead and Liam closed his eyes. The touch gave him a little bit of warmth and even if it did little to nothing, it helped his spirit that Theo cared so much. 

The sudden press of a wet snout made Liam blink his eyes open again and instead of Theo the black wolf towered over him and brushed his snout against Liam’s forehead. Liam shivered again and the wolf whined but then crawled under all the blankets and wrapped himself around Liam as tightly as possible. And that was as if Liam had been connected to a heater. 

His wolf who had been weakened by the cold and still had tried his best to safe Liam but had grown as tired as Liam felt, woke up again and felt a rush of energy through the mating bond. He howled inside Liam’s chest and started to work to warm Liam from the inside. Theo snuggled closer to Liam and put his head on Liam’s chest, right above his heart. Liam closed his eyes. He was still tired but the terrifying kind of tired, the one that took over anything else and paralyzed Liam, slowly inched away and made room for the cozy kind of tired, the one after a long day when you finally were home safely in your bed. 

Liam’s heart rate picked up again, returned to almost a normal level and the warmth slowly returned to his body. It didn’t happen in a span of five minutes but over the next hours he his body temperature climbed again and when Liam finally fell asleep, he was almost running as warm as before, and he fell asleep curled up with his beautiful black wolf. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who said one heartbreaking chapter was enough, huh? But real talk I hope you don't hate me too much because I put you through so much in such short amount of time. I don't plan on anything as heartbreaking next chapter but you never know yet. I still hope you read and like it and be the awesome cupcakes that you are!!! ♥♥♥♥  
> I really like the idea of Mckenna watching over Liam like some sort of guardian of whatever you want to call her. And yes, Theo's and Liam's connection changed as well since Theo got turned and we will see even more of this in the next chapters.


	34. It's never just one threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They still have to face the Celia situation but Theo also faces his first full moon and a call from Byron worries Liam greatly.

Liam woke up still tangled with Theo in his wolf form and heard a low growl.   
“Oh, okay, you managed to fully shift again, that’s great. But I just want to check on Liam, okay? No harm here, buddy.” Mason’s slightly panicky voice sounded up. “Damn, did somebody ever tell you, you look intimidating when you’re fully shifted? Those are sharp teeth.”   
He seemed to have the highest respect and Liam almost chuckled. This was entertaining but at the same time, he wanted to tell his best friend he was okay again. He felt better, normal again, with a normal temperature, and this thanks to Theo shifting and keeping him warm. Theo had saved him.

“You are not seriously scared of Theo, are you?” Liam raised his head and looked at Mason. His best friend seemed surprised he was awake but then he gesticulated at the black wolf still snuggled close to Liam. “Have you seen him??”  
“Yeah, he’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Liam smiled when Theo did an indignant huff at Mason’s words but then rubbed his head against Liam’s arm. The young Alpha pressed a kiss on Theo’s head. “Thank you for saving me.” He muttered so only Theo could hear him. “And you’re shifted. I am so proud of you.”  
“Lee, how are you feeling?”  
“Better. Warmer.” Liam looked up again and smiled at Mason. “I’m okay, don’t worry, okay?”  
Mason smiled back and nodded. “I will tell the others.” He promised, waved, and then left the room while he closed the door behind him. 

Liam rubbed his eyes. “Are you going to shift back? It must be exhausting to be in full shift for so many hours, right? I don’t want you to exhaust yourself.”   
But Theo sniffed and moved closer to Liam to brush his nose against Liam’s cheek and then cuddle his mate. Liam laughed and wrapped his arms around Theo’s neck. Wolfy cuddles were nice. “I meant it. I’m proud of you.”  
Theo huffed and yipped lightly and snuggled closer to Liam. Liam kissed his head again before he hugged Theo closer. 

They laid there for a while, Liam stroked through Theo’s fur until he felt his boyfriend grew restless and started to move. He opened his arms and let Theo out of his hold and Theo jumped off the bed and paced in circles for a while before he finally stopped and slowly shifted back to human form. The minute he was fully human however he jumped up and tackled Liam to the bed again.

“I did a full shift again!”  
Liam laughed loudly at his mate’s happiness and excitement and nodded eagerly. “You did!” He affirmed and looked up from where Theo had tackled and pinned him on the bed.   
Theo smiled down at him and then captured Liam’s lip with his own to kiss him deeply. Liam didn’t need to think about it and he returned the kiss just as deep and passionate. He reached up and ran his hand through Theo’s hair, disheveled it with his fingers and used it to pull Theo even closer.   
When they parted Theo grinned down at him. “I’m happy to have you back.” He confessed and Liam smiled and nodded.  
“I am happy to be back to my usual warm self. All thanks to you.”  
“I had to save you and I really didn’t know how. I was desperate and suddenly I felt the shift happening and that did the trick.”  
“It did.” Liam nodded again and pecked Theo’s lips again. Theo chuckled and pulled the blanket over their heads, shielded them from the outside world.   
“I want to have you all for myself for a little while.” He explained and Liam smirked. Theo gently gripped his jaw and tilted his head slightly so he could kiss Liam again. 

They kissed and kissed again, hidden under the blanket, while their bodies grew hotter and pressed closer together. Liam tugged at Theo’s bottom lip with his teeth and smirked at the low grown he heard from his mate. When his tongue slid over the abused part, Theo rutted against him and his hands traveled down Liam’s sides. He pulled away from the kiss but moved his head and started to kiss over Liam’s neck and his throat immediately. Liam groaned and tilted his head back while Theo worked his lips further down his body. 

Theo’s lips set his body on fire. Every time his skin was touched by Theo’s lips, Liam moaned at the sheer sensation of the fire spreading through his body. He panted and arched up against Theo to chase said sensation even longer. Theo chuckled lowly and his tongue licked over Liam’s abs which caused Liam to shiver.  
“Damn, Theo...”  
The older looked up and smirked smugly, Liam loved that smirk. That mixture between teasing and being downright sinful and when Theo’s eyes glowed now, Liam growled in return. His boyfriend looked good enough to eat. 

Now Theo’s smirk grew a bit more lewdly and he pushed the blanket aside a bit to lean over to the nightstand and retrieve the tube of lube from there. When he found it, he pulled the blanket over them again and moved further down Liam’s body. A slight pat on the inside of his thigh made Liam spread his legs.  
Theo kissed the inside of his thigh and then pressed another kiss against Liam’s skin a bit further down Liam’s thigh. It made the Alpha shiver in arousal and his cock twitch. It was already hard and precum leaked at the tip. And then Liam groaned loudly when he felt Theo’s teeth sink into the skin on the inside of his thigh. It left a nice bite mark and the fact that it was on such an intimate spot made Liam’s cock twitch again. What was Theo doing to him? 

“You’re always so open for me, baby. Perfect.” Theo praised him and Liam loved the praise. He wanted to be perfect for Theo because his boyfriend was just as perfect for him. So he nodded and spread his legs even further while Theo lubed his fingers up and pressed one of them against Liam’s hole. Liam gasped when the finger slowly slipped inside him; it was not nearly enough. 

Theo leaned over him again and sealed their lips together in a filthy kiss. Liam groaned into it and his both hands gripped Theo’s hair and tugged at the strands. Now it was Theo who groaned and pushed his finger further into Liam. He probed around for a while and then added a second finger. His movements were still slow and languish and they drove Liam crazy. He rutted against Theo’s fingers and clenched around the digits while he sucked on Theo’s tongue. Theo moaned and Liam greedily swallowed the sound with another passionate kiss.   
His fingers ran over Theo’s naked back, blunt nails scratched the skin and left red stripes behind which quickly vanquished again. Theo arched into the feeling, it seemed to be the right amount of pain to make it feel good. Liam grinned and pulled back from the kiss to smirk at Theo and teasingly run his tongue over his own lips. Theo’s eyes followed the movement and he growled, seemingly not liking the fact Liam had pulled back from their intense makeout session. 

He moved his fingers faster, jabbed them inside Liam, soon added a third one, and the nineteen-year-old gasped when his prostate was hit. His body shivered and arched up while Theo tormented him in the best way possible but then he was pressed down on the mattress again. Theo smirked at him and licked over Liam’s pulse point. Liam moaned and goosebumps appeared on his arms and his neck. His wolf awoke inside him and Liam’s eyes started to glow again in reply to having Theo so close and doing those things to him. His blunt nails turned into claws and he lightly scraped them over Theo’s back without breaking the skin. 

Theo panted and Liam felt Theo’s fangs graze over the skin on his neck. It got him even more riled up and he pulled Theo back by his hair so the older looked at him. When he did, Liam pressed their lips together in a hard and demanding kiss. Theo moaned into the liplock and his fingers twisted inside Liam. Liam was pretty sure he would be nothing more than a whimpering mess when Theo was done with him. And he didn’t mind, at all.

Theo’s fingers were gone all of sudden and Liam would not even try to deny the whine that left his mouth at the loss. He watched Theo prop himself up on his elbow and lube his cock up with the other hand and the Alpha’s eyes darkened with lust. Theo raised his head and Liam realized he must have growled or made another sound indicating he liked the view. His mate winked at him and Liam’s wolf grew impatient. He grabbed Theo by the wrist and yanked him closer. It was Liam who kissed and sucked on Theo’s neck now, left little markings in his wake that soon disappeared again. Theo groaned and writhed against Liam and exposed his neck so Liam had more room to work. 

But then Theo pulled back and pinned Liam on the mattress again. “My naughty little Alpha.” He muttered fondly and Liam chuckled. Theo’s cheeks were flushed from the heat that built up under the covers but at the same time, it made it more intimate to be completely shielded from the world, hidden and alone with their lust and each other. A faint layer of sweat had appeared on their skin and Liam grabbed Theo’s shoulders and leaped up to lick over his collarbone and his neck and taste his mate. Theo moaned in surprise, especially when Liam’s tongue danced over his mating bite, and he let himself enjoy Liam’s caresses for a while before he moved away and used a bit more lube on his cock. 

Liam laid back again, his eyes never left Theo’s form, and a loving smile played around his lips. That was his mate and Liam, just like his wolf, loved to watch him. Their mating bond pulsed between them, even stronger now that they both were werewolves, and Liam was sometimes sure he saw a golden band between them from the corner of his eyes. As if their mating bond was manifesting, even though he wasn’t sure this was possible. 

It quickly disappeared from his mind now, when Theo pushed into him, slow and deliberate to not hurt Liam. But Liam wasn’t hurt at all, he just moaned loudly and his legs wrapped around Theo’s waist as soon as his boyfriend was fully inside him and bottomed out. Theo leaned up and brushed his lips against Liam’s while he gave them both the time to get used to this overwhelming feeling. No matter how often they had sex, it was always special, it always felt better than the last time, and now, with two real wolves inside them, something snapped in the right place instantly. They felt connected, not just because Theo was currently buried inside him, but also connected on a soul level. Theo was his soulmate and they had found each other over years.

“I love you.” Liam ran his fingers through Theo’s hair while he pulled him closer. “And you are my soulmate. My everything. My end game.”  
Theo purred at the words and pecked Liam’s lips once more and then he started to move inside Liam. They both groaned in pleasure. This was amazing. Those slow thrusts were usually driving Liam crazy but right now they fit so perfectly that he could not really complain. He just wanted Theo deeper inside him and he tightened his legs around his mate. Liam waited for a few more thrusts, then he started to move against Theo, fucked himself on his boyfriend’s cock but never picked up the pace. Slow and languish, with their hands and lips wandering over each other’s bodies and worshipping every patch of skin they could reach, still completely hidden. Liam’s head spun and he felt a smile spread across his face when he looked up at Theo. Theo looked down and smiled back while his eyes flickered between green and hold and finally glowed in this beautiful molted golden color. Liam purred and his own eyes flashed Alpha red. Theo chuckled and tilted his head to press a kiss behind Liam’s ear, ran his nose against the juncture of his neck.

“You smell so fucking good, Alpha. Like mine.”

“Because I am yours. For the rest of our lives.” Liam pulled Theo down by his hair and inhaled his boyfriend’s rich scent. “And you smell just as heavenly.” His wolf howled happily inside Liam and his claws scratched over Theo’s shoulder blades when his whole body shook with renewed pleasure and Liam found his senses getting sharper. Person and wolf mixed even more, intoxicated by the sensation of their mate being that close, and Liam gasped loudly. 

“Oh god...yes, Theo, yes...” He moaned out loud and he clenched around Theo’s cock inside him. Theo thrust up into his tight heat and hissed.  
“Fuck, you’re always so tight. Fuck, Liam, feels so good!”

They rocked together, brought each other more and more to their highs. Theo’s hand stroked the underside of Liam’s cock and then his thumb circled around the tip and lazily smeared the precum on the red tip. Liam whimpered and he really wished Theo would jerk him off but Theo didn’t do that. He just ran his thumb around the shaft and teased Liam, pressed on the tip and Liam mewled.   
“So fucking pretty and all mine! You give me so much every time we have sex, do you know that? So many nice pictures to think about when I ever feel lonely. When I miss you or when I really need a distraction. I just think about how fucking pretty you look. I imagine you.”  
Liam groaned. “Yeah? What do you imagine, Theo? Tell me.” He wrapped his legs even tighter around Theo and pulled him even deeper inside him. Theo gasped and panted and his next thrust was deep and hard, nailed perfectly Liam’s prostate. Liam’s hand wrapped around the back of Theo’s neck, his claws lightly pressing into the skin. “Share your fantasies with me, my pretty sinful Beta.”  
“I think of everything and all at once. How I can bend you over any surface an fuck you. How you jerk off and send me the video. How it feels to get pounded and filled by you. It’s intense how much we own each other, every single inch of us belongs to one another, and I love it. I am my own person but I’m also yours. And I have so many fantasies, Liam. I want to live them all with you.”  
“We can. We will. Live them all. I have so many fantasies regarding you as well. Sexual fantasies and others as well.”  
“Me too. Other fantasies, I mean. Not just the sexy ones.”

They kissed again, deep and passionate, while they still rocked against each other. Theo finally started to pump Liam’s dick and since Liam had been sensible before, it didn’t take long for him to coat Theo’s hand with his release. Theo continued to thrust into him but followed Liam soon after, filed Liam with his release. Liam gasped at how full he felt and then basically collapsed into the mattress, completely boneless and fucked out. Theo was on top of him and Liam was sure his boyfriend had fallen asleep, he was that quiet.

But then Theo moved and slowly pulled out of his mate to roll next to Liam. He rolled on his side and wrapped both arms around Liam, snuggled close to him. The Beta buried his face in the crook of Liam’s neck and inhaled his mate’s scent before he pressed a kiss against Liam’s neck. “I love you. I love you so much.”  
Liam stroked over Theo’s arm and then moved so he could wrap one arm around Theo too. “I love you too. So, so much.” He replied and stroked over Theo’s naked shoulder.

“We need a shower.” Liam mumbled after a while and Theo made a confirming sound but didn’t move, just like Liam. It was too nice to lay here and cuddle. Liam gave them a bit more time to enjoy, then he gently clapped Theo’s shoulder. “Come on, T, shower.”

Theo followed Liam and pushed the blanket away from their bodies so he could get up and help Liam to his feet. Hand in hand the couple disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door behind them. 

When they left the bathroom after a while, they were refreshed and could get dressed before they walked down to join the rest of the pack. They all were in the living room and discussed the newest events.  
“Talking about Celia?” Liam asked and sat on the couch. Theo moved next to him and put one arm on the backrest behind Liam.   
“Liam! How are you?” His Betas immediately wanted to know how their Alpha felt and he smiled.   
“I’m okay, guys, don’t worry. Theo warmed me again.”  
“I fully shifted.” Theo explained proudly and Liam chuckled and kissed his cheek.   
“This is truly great. I’m happy for you.” Maya said with a smile in Theo’s direction and he smiled back and nodded in gratitude.  
“But back to the topic, you were talking about Celia, right?” Liam brought the discussion back to what they had talked about when the Alpha couple entered.

“Ever, you know her?”  
She nodded. “We went to school together and she got her powers very early. But one day she moved away with her parents and that about was it. I would have never expected her to be the killer.”  
 “Well, she wants revenge, I think she made that very clear.” Nolan chimed in.  
“Yeah, but what is the bigger plan?” Theo asked and leaned forward. “I mean, let’s say she gets her revenge and kills every single witch in Seattle. Then what? She said she wanted to make the people who underestimated her pay but why does she kill them then? Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to have the people kneel in front of you then to just kill them? There will always be people who underestimate you and are mean to you. Is her plan to kill everyone who doubts her?”  
“You think she has a bigger motivation? Okay, makes sense when you say it like that. But what could that be?” Mason asked thoughtfully.   
“And more important, how do we stop her?” Corey added to their deliberations. 

“However we plan on stopping here, we have to take into account how dangerous she is. She is ruthless and she is powerful and she almost killed Theo and me. So whatever happens, we have to be careful as hell.” Liam warned his pack and the Betas nodded.   
“I could try and steal her powers.” Ever suggested but Theo shook his head. “I wouldn’t recommend this. Taking somebody’s powers leaves an imprint on you and not the good kind of imprint.” He told her with a sad smile. She glanced at him. “Oh.”  
Liam put his hand on Theo’s knee and Theo reached over with his other hand and gave it a little squeeze. They laced their fingers together.   
“So? Plan?” Mike asked.  
“We continue like we did before. Try to protect people and try to get more information to make a good enough plan to defeat her.” Mason suggested and Liam nodded.  
 “That’s the best we have right now.”

"Is there nobody we can ask for help? Ever, don’t you witches have some sort of council or whatever, made from the oldest witches?” Sadie looked at Ever and raised an eyebrow.  
Ever looked amused. “What do you think this is? Charmed with the elders? No, we don’t have this. Sure, some witches have covens but every coven has their own leader or leaders. Just like every wolf pack has their own Alpha.”   
“Speaking off Alpha. Liam, what the heck??” Tim exclaimed and stared at Liam in awe. “That ghost wolf thing was awesome, how did you do that?”  
Liam laughed but then shrugged. “I have no idea. That was Mckenna, the former Alpha Byron said I remind him of. I had no idea that she would appear, it’s not like I called her.”  
“How did you know it was her?” Maya questioned.  
“I had a dream about her shortly before I fully shifted for the first time and I asked about her name. She nodded when I asked if she was Mckenna so I knew it was her. And the wolf was either her wolf or the real wolf that always followed her around.”   
“It was strangely cool and Celia almost shit her pants.” Mike grinned. Liam laughed again. 

******  
Liam walked past the shelves in the library, eyes scanning the books for the title he needed. He finally found it and stretched to retrieve it from the shelf. Suddenly an arm wrapped around his stomach and he felt a soft kiss pressed against his cheek. A strong body plastered itself against Liam’s back and he chuckled.  
“Hey, T.” He smiled and Theo chuckled and wrapped his other arm around Liam too.   
“Missed you.” He muttered and snuggled close to Liam. “We usually see each other in the hallway between classes but today I never spotted you once. So I decided to seek you out after my last lecture.”  
“Aww, missed you too, baby.” Liam could not deny his heart rate picked up at his boyfriend’s sweet words. “I had so much stuff to take care of today and everybody tried to pull me in different directions. Crazy day.”

“Yeah.” Theo released Liam from his hug and Liam led him back to the small table he had put his things on. The campus library offered some smaller tables with two comfortable seats each and Liam liked to lounge there when he did some reading. Theo now sat on one of them and pulled Liam in his lap.  
“I don’t think the librarian will like this.” Liam mused but chuckled and wrapped both arms around Theo’s neck after he put the book down.  
“I don’t care.” Theo said and then he kissed Liam and every thought about librarians disappeared. 

Liam knew why Theo acted like this. Tonight was the full moon, Theo’s first full moon as a real werewolf, and he had to feel the pull even stronger. Wolves were pack animals, it made sense Theo sought out his Alpha, and they were mated, he needed to be close to Liam and touch him. Touch him and make out with him as it seemed and Liam could not keep his hands to himself either. His hands disappeared under Theo’s olive-colored bomber jacket and finally under his grey shirt. Theo’s hands stroked over Liam’s back and one hand found its place on the small on Liam’s back. Theor tongue’s tangled with each other, caressed each other, and teased each other, and Theo pulled Liam even closer. 

“I was under the impression making out in a library is behind one of the shelves, in a dark corner, and not hidden in plain sight.” “Times changes, Cor. Or this is just our Alphas being shameless.”

Both Alphas raised one hand and gave Corey and Nolan the finger while they continued to make out. Corey laughed. “The librarian glares at you. She is probably seconds away from making her way over.”   
Liam broke the kiss and when he looked up his eyes were red. It took him a moment to collect himself again and for his eyes to return back to blue. “We are not doing anything dirty. I am allowed to kiss my boyfriend!” He hissed.  
“Kissing, yes. But you shoved each other’s tongues down each other’s throats. I’m not saying it wasn’t totally hot to look at but I’m not sure if you would have liked to get interrupted now.”  
“You should never interrupt the Alpha couple making out. Never. Ground-rule and such.” Theo cut in and pressed a loving kiss on the corner of Liam’s mouth. Liam smiled and carded his hand lovingly through Theo’s hair. 

“We’ve done worse things than just making out.”  
Corey seemed to be highly amused and interested in that topic. “Really? What was the naughtiest you ever did in public? I’m sure Mason and I beat you.”  
“Does the house minus our bedroom count as public?” Liam inquired and Theo snorted with laughter. “What?”  
“While you were in Alaska, I had a talk with Sadie. The wolves can smell when we had sex in the other rooms and thus we are forbidden to have sex anywhere else in the house than the bedroom until Ever invents a spell to vanquish the smell immediately.”  
“Oh.” Theo looked like Liam. He obviously had not thought about the other wolves being able to smell them. Then he chuckled and pulled Liam into a loving kiss. “Ooops,”  
“How many rooms did you already have sex in? No, you know what, I’m good with not knowing!” Nolan asked but then hastily decided he was better without this particular information. Liam grinned at him and winked. 

“What we’re here for, want to grab coffee with us?” Corey invited the two and Liam nodded. He would check out the book and read it at home, and so he gathered his things and marched over the check out in counter.   
The librarian gave him a stern look but then she smirked. “Good catch, just maybe not that openly. Kissing yes, but not shameless making out. Okay?”  
Liam laughed. “Okay.”

******  
Theo glanced up at the sky. Only a few clouds and soon the full moon would be up. He leaned against the window in their bedroom and Liam stepped behind him to wrap both arms around Theo and put his chin on Theo’s shoulder. “Afraid?”  
“A bit.” Theo confessed. “What if I lose control?”  
“You are the most controlled person I’ve ever known. I am not worried about this.”  
Theo smiled weakly. “You are always so optimistic, despite everything you’ve been through.”  
“I also have my moments where I think nothing will work out and everything is lost. But I don’t think you will lash out tonight. I trust you like no other.”

Liam kissed Theo’s neck. “Change into workout clothes, okay? I will be right back.” He ordered and Theo gave him a questioning look but walked over to the wardrobe when Liam pulled away and left the room. He made a stop at every Beta and told them to change into workout gear before he dragged the humans into the kitchen. “Can you prepare some food? Not cooking but maybe sandwiches, crackers, cheese. And some bottles of water?” He asked and they nodded. “Sure. Why?” Mason asked.  
“I thought we could make a full moon picnic after.” Liam smiled. “We also need blankets, many blankets to wrap around each other and to sit on.You prepare everything and I’m going to get the wolves.”

He left the kitchen to also change into running gear and then gather the wolfy members of the pack and bring them to the kitchen. “The humans are preparing the food and we will later meet for a full moon picnic.” He stated and Ever, Nolan, and Mason nodded from where they were working. Corey was kind of torn, he had no claws or fangs, but Liam knew he was fast and so he counted him to the wolves right now.   
“And what are we doing?” Maya asked.  
Liam smirked. “We’re running. Going for a run in the woods. Come on.”

The wolves followed their Alpha outside and when they stepped into the garden, Liam glanced up. The full moon was almost up and they all felt it. He looked over his shoulder at Theo who also glanced at the sky but seemed perfectly fine.  
“Just running? Or are we having a goal? Chasing something?” Maya asked with a smile. Liam grinned and paused for a minute to get them in the mood. When he turned around to his Betas, his eyes glowed.  
“You’re chasing me.” He simply stated and his Betas chuckled. Their eyes flashed too and it was always a great feeling for Liam to see his pack like this. With glowing eyes and listening to him. It pleased him.   
“I’m curious which one of you is actually the fastest. And maybe you manage to catch me. Oh, and to keep it fair, no full shift.”  
Theo groaned in mock annoyance. “Come on!”  
“Nope. Guess you have to use your two human legs, Dore. So...let’s go!”   
Liam spun around and started running towards the woods and soon enough he heard his Betas chasing after him.

 The pack ran through the woods, Liam jumped over sticks and stones, roots, pushed twigs aside and ducked under thicker branches. The full moon was shining brightly now and illuminated the woods beautifully. He knew his pack was all around him but Liam was the Alpha and by that, he was faster. And when he neared a gorge he smirked. It reminded him of the one he and Hayden once jumped over and Liam embarrassedly didn’t jump fast enough. Now he was very confident he could manage the jump and didn’t haltered his movements while he raced towards the gorge. Used the right spot to jump and landed on the other side moments later.

Liam looked up and smirked proudly. How often had he seen Scott do jumps like that as if they were nothing? And now he could also do these. But the gorge wasn’t that big and didn’t lead through the whole forest so his Betas could easily run around and still chase him and Liam would not make it that easy for them. He got to his feet again and started running again, ears strained to pick up any sounds from his pack.

They were still behind him, not that far away, and Liam was impressed. They were fast, his Betas, fast, strong, and they wanted to catch their Alpha. He wondered how long it would take for them to start working together to do just that. He was curious. It was a great exercise for their teamwork. 

The young Alpha finally broke through the woods and appeared on the clearing where the humans were waiting. They had already laid out the blankets and the food in Tupperware containers. When they spotted Liam, they grinned.

“The Alpha arrives first, why am I not surprised.” Ever said and Liam laughed breathlessly. He was out of breath because even as an Alpha he grew tired and exhausted. Nolan handed him a water bottle and Liam opened it and took a sip. 

“We also brought your jackets.” Mason said and pointed at the pile of jackets next to the containers. 

“Thanks.” Liam nodded and took another sip. Sadie came running out of the woods, shoulder to shoulder with Theo. Liam watched them have their own little race, Maya not so close behind. He had expected that Theo and Sadie would challenge each other to be faster than the other. Both loved each other like brother and sister now but they were the same kind of competitive and things like that brought that to light. 

But while Sadie stopped after she arrived at the clearing, Theo raced towards Liam and the young Alpha could just drop his water bottle before Theo tackled him and they rolled around on the ground. Liam loved and wrestled a bit with Theo. His boyfriend used the unfair tactic of tickling him and so Liam pinned him on the ground with both wrists above his head. He smirked down at his mate.  
“How are you feeling?”  
“Great.” Theo smiled. “Not scared anymore.”  
“Good.” Liam leaned down and kissed Theo and Theo used this little distraction to break free and roll them around. Liam giggled and wrapped one leg tightly around Theo, kept him tightly against his body.  
“Sex in front of the pack? Kinky, Liam. I was aware other packs do that but I wasn’t aware you’re into that too!” Theo laughed quietly into Liam’s ear and Liam melted. He loved Theo’s laugh.

“Your laugh is gorgeous.”  
Theo rubbed his cheek against Liam’s and did his best to hide his face so Liam knew his boyfriend was blushing. Theo still had some sort of trouble to accept a compliment like this sometimes.   
“I love you.” He whispered and pulled Theo into a kiss.   
“If you two are done dry humping, would you like a blanket to wrap around? Wolves and all are nice, but we still get cold.” Maya called out and Liam groaned. Theo chuckled and pecked his lips one last time. Liam sighed but let Theo go and then got to his feet to walk over, picked up his water bottle in the progress.

The Alpha couple settled between their Betas, one blanket wrapped around their shoulders and one blanket tossed over their legs after they put on their jackets. Mike and Corey were starting a small fire and Ever cast a simple spell to make sure it would not become dangerous and burn the woods down.  
“Sandwich?” Mason offered a container full of sandwiches and Liam grabbed a cheese and ham while Theo decided on a salami sandwich. They munched their food happily and let the fire warm them.  
“Great idea with the run and the picnic, Liam. Can we do this every full moon?” Sadie asked.   
“Sure, why not?” Liam asked. It had been nice and all their wolves had liked the run. Even Corey seemed to have enjoyed it and was now curled with Mason across from Liam and Theo. The pack ate and chatted while the full moon stood brightly above them. It was a relaxed mood and for one night they could forget psychotic witches and demons, near-death experiences, and all the stress. They just sat there and talked to their pack mates and it did wonders to their pack bond, It strengthened even more and they all felt it.

After a while, Liam was invested in a discussion with Tim and Nolan about Captain America and Iron Man when Corey gently poked his shoulder. “Can I talk to you alone for two minutes?” He asked and Liam nodded. “Sure.”  
He squeezed Theo’s hand to let him know he would be back soon and then got up to walk a bit away with Corey. “What’s up?”  
Corey exhaled loudly and rubbed his hands together. “I have no idea where to start this. It’s hard to find the right words because I don’t want to jump at you.”  
“Corey, whatever it is, just say it. You know me, I am blunt most of the times so I won’t mind.”

“Would you give me the bite too?”

Liam stopped short. He had misheard that, right? “What?” _Very intelligent and eloquent question, Dunbar, amazing!_

“Would you bite me and turn me into a werewolf?” Corey repeated and worried his lower lip.

Okay, Liam had heard right. “Why?” He was great at monosyllabic questions. 

“I want to protect Mason. He is just human and I saw what can happen with Theo and you. You two almost died and you are supernatural beings, you are an Alpha even, and I got scared what happens if he suffered from any of these attacks. My only power is turning invisible and that’s all. To fully protect Mason, I need claws and fangs, like the rest of you.”

Liam sighed. “Fangs and claws don’t help you either when your mate gets thrown through a wall.” He remembered Corey but a part of him, - no matter how shocked he overall was - understood Corey’s sorrows. Still, his stomach turned to knots just thinking about it.

“The bite would change your whole life, you have to consider this. I get why you want to do this but have you talked to Mason?”  
Corey looked guilty and shook his head and Liam sighed again. “You want to do it for him, so you need to talk to him first. It’s not fair to say he is the reason and not give him the opportunity to utter his thoughts on this. And he is my best friend, I don’t want to do anything behind his back.”

“Will you tell him?” Corey asked panickily and Liam shook his head. “That’s your duty.”  
“Please, don’t tell anybody, Liam.”  
“I can’t lie to Theo. If he asks me, I have to tell him the truth. But I won’t tell anybody else. Still you need to talk to Mason as fast as possible if you’re really planning on going through with this.”  
Corey gave him a shy glance but he looked hopeful. “So, you would give me the bite?”  
Liam sighed gravely. “I don’t know yet. There is so much to consider and I need to know you have checked every box and really thought this trough, talked to Mason. Only then we can consider this.”  
It wasn’t a Yes but it also wasn’t a No and Corey seemed relieved. “Thank you, Liam. I don’t want to cause you any distress. I will talk to Mason and then I will think about it again if that helps you sleep at night. But thank you for considering this.”  
“Hm.” Liam said absentmindedly and patted Corey’s back when the chimera hugged him and then returned to the fire. Liam followed him soon after and sat down next o Theo again, buried himself in the blanket and leaned against his boyfriend.   
“You okay?” Theo asked and Liam smiled softly. “In thoughts.” He replied.

******  
“What did Corey asked you?” Theo asked later that night when they were back in their room and Liam had just brushed his teeth and crawled under the covers. Theo had used the toilet after Liam was done and now washed his hands and turned off the light in the bathroom before he walked over to the bed and also crawled under the covers. 

Liam sighed. “He asked me if I would give him the bite so he can protect Mason better.”  
Theo stared at him in complete surprise. “Come again?”  
Liam shrugged helplessly. “Yeah.”  
“And you’re considering this?” Theo immediately went into his logical mode and Liam loved this. It helped him sort his own thoughts when he had Theo’s calculating ways and insight.   
“I asked if he had talked to Mason yet and he promised he would talk to him and then think over the whole thing again before coming to me again. And now I feel like I’m torn between Corey and Mason and I don’t know what to do.”  
“What do you want? You play a big part in this too because the Alpha has a connection with his bitten Betas. And you are emotional, baby, it would affect you greatly.”  
“Hm, I know.” Liam sighed. “I have no idea, honestly. Maybe because I don’t know how Mason thinks about this. I never considered biting people except for saving their lives because biting people just like that would mean doing the same thing to them that happened to me and I don’t want that. I never imagined someone would ask me for the bite, you know?”

Theo nodded and opened his arms. “Come here.” He said lovingly and Liam followed the invitation and put his head on Theo’s chest when he leaned against him. Theo wrapped his arms around him and held him. “Whatever you decide, Liam, it will be the right decision in the end and everyone will understand that, some sooner and some later. Don’t feel obliged to do it just because Corey asked you to do it. It is your right to say No.”  
Liam agreed and snuggled closer to Theo. “I told Corey I would tell you if you asked and I’m happy I did it. Talking with you helps.”  
“I’m here o share your worries with you and you are here to share mine. That’s what we do. You can always talk to me and I will do my best to help you.”  
Liam smiled and looked up. He stroked over Theo’s cheek. “I know.”  
Theo smiled back and pulled Liam into a loving kiss.

******  
Corey didn’t approach Liam again for the next few days and Liam was glad about that. He still had not made up his mind about the whole ordeal and while he liked Corey as a friend and really thought he was a valid member of the pack he wasn’t so sure about turning him. But Corey seemingly had not talked with Mason yet and so Liam got some more time to think about it. 

Aside from that, their lives were quiet right now. Celia had not killed again or sent her demons to the pack and Liam was not so sure what he should think about this. It worried him she was planning something much more sinister and all but since she was not showing her mug in town, he could not do much about it. 

Theo was a great support for Liam and now that he had survived his first full moon as a real werewolf, he was much more at ease with his wolf side. He liked to shift every now and then and play with Aka and Koda and Liam knew it was because Theo enjoyed having this ability back. It warmed his heart and his wolf was almost exploding with pride when he saw the beautiful black wolf around the house. Theo’s fur seemed more sleek and soft, shining healthier since he got turned and Liam liked to pet him when he had the chance. Sometimes Theo even searched him out to get some scratches but mostly transformed back into his human self and it ended with the couple making out somewhere. Or Liam fell asleep with Theo in wolf form and woke up again with him wrapped around his naked mate. This in turn, mostly ended with either blowjobs, sex, or both.

And then Liam just got woken up by his cellphone on a Saturday morning. He and Theo just had their weekly date night last night, had gone to the movies and this new Italien place and then returned home way after midnight after a long walk back home where they just talked about each and everything and held hands, the whole sappy program. 

It made sense Liam was tired when he blinked his eyes open and it was rarely past seven on his alarm clock. Theo next to him groaned and hid his face under his pillow and Liam wanted to do the same but not without checking the caller ID. He grabbed his phone and blearily looked at the display. And then he was awake immediately.

“It’s Byron.”

When Byron called this early, something was up. Liam sat up and accepted the call. “Byron, hey.”  
“Liam, hello. I know it’s early and I wouldn’t call when the council didn’t deem it important.”  
“I know, gramps, what’s up? Is somebody hurt?”  
“No, none of our members at least. But another pack showed up in our territory. It looked like they just came out of a brutal fight and they are in bad shape. Shana found them this very morning when she was gathering herbs. It’s a small pack but what they could say before they all collapsed and needed patching up, was hunters, fight, and protection of innocents.” He paused. “Liam, I think it would be good if you came here.”

“Yeah, got it. I’ll come there as soon as possible.” Liam promised and hung up. He didn’t need to ask if Theo had listened to the conversation. He had also sat up and now nodded. “I’ll wake the Betas.” He said and got out of bed. Liam nodded and made his way down the kitchen. He needed coffee and a talk with his pack.

Not even ten minutes later they all were in the kitchen. “So you leave and drive to the lake, sure, but what about the Celia situation here? We can’t leave all, can we?” Ever asked after Liam told them what happened.  
“I had the same train of thoughts but who should stay here?” Liam asked because he really had no idea. He didn’t know what this other pack was all about, what kind of trouble they were having so deciding on who would accompany him was hard.  
“Let’s say, Liam goes, does Theo stay here as second Alpha?” Sadie questioned and Theo snorted.  
“Yeah, sure!”  
No way he would let Liam leave if Liam didn’t tell him to stay put. And they both knew Liam wouldn’t do that.

“I think we all should go. We saw what Celia and her demons can do and that was while the whole pack was together. If I go in the deepest, darker corner of my personality and try to think like this psychotic bitch, I would use the moment the pack splits to attack and slaughter the remaining pack members. She’s currently quiet and we have no idea where she’s hiding, but maybe reuniting with the whole pack makes us stronger and maybe that’s what we need.” Maya shared her thoughts on this and this was a valid point. 

“If she kills again, we can’t stop her anyway. We have no idea how and she almost killed our Alphas. I don’t want to go against her without a bulletproof battle plan and especially now when not the whole pack is together.” Tim sided with Maya and even Ever had to admit they were right.  
“So we all go?” She asked and everybody looked at Liam.  
He nodded. “We all go. A pack is the strongest when all members are together and maybe Maya is right and reuniting with the lake pack is what we need. So get dressed and grabbed what you need. We will drive as soon as we can.”

It was an order and they all followed. Liam and Theo walked into their bedroom, brushed their teeth, and got dressed.   
“Any idea who this other pack might be?” Theo asked while he put on his shoes.  
Liam shook his head and pulled his shirt over his head. “No. They were too injured to say much and then collapsed. I have no idea how many they are or how bad their injuries are but if Byron calls me, I think it’s time to worry.”  
“Maybe he just wants to be prepared in case anything happens. If the pack really had a run in with hunters, chances are high the hunters come to the lake. And that’s something the Alpha has to know.”  
Liam shrugged on his jacket and nodded. “Makes sense. I still hate to go into a situation without any information at all. Or barely information at all, whatever.” 

Theo stepped to him and cupped his face. “We’re all with you and we will work through it together. Whatever happened to the other pack, we will protect our pack, our family.”  
Liam smiled. “Thank you.” He kissed Theo deeply. Having his mate by his side helped him cope with every stress and every threat looming on the horizon. They would manage everything together.

The car ride to the lake was filled with anxiety and tension. Everyone was having thoughts about what was awaiting them and somehow Liam knew they all prepared for battle.  
“Can’t we just focus on one threat before another one arises?” Sadie complained.  
“It’s never just one threat. It was the death pool and the Benefactor while at the same time Kate Argent and her Berserker, it were the Dread Doctors and the Beast, it were Douglas and the Ghost Riders, it were the hunters and the Anuk-ite. There is never just one thread to fight.” Liam mumbled and searched her glance in the rearview mirror. It was the sad truth.  
“So we should be happy that we only had one wendigo and one Alpha until now? That not everything happened at once?” Sadie sarcastically asked.  
“Yep.” Liam said and stepped on the gas. 

It was good Byron called relatively early and so there wasn’t much traffic on the streets. It helped them cover a good amount of the route in the shortest amount of time and that was something. Theo and Liam once switched driving, just like Nolan and Mason did. They all should rest a little more because if there were hunters chances were high they had to fight shortly after arriving or were directly driving into a war zone.

“If the hunters are already there, what is the plan?”  
“Disarm as many of them as you can, don’t get killed but stop them from killing.” Theo replied to Mike’s question. “And bring relatively innocents out of the crossfire.”  
“Relatively innocents? What’s that?” Mike asked.  
“People who were just manipulated and yes, shot you but didn’t deserve to die at the age of seventeen.” Theo muttered and when Liam looked over he saw his mate’s grip tightening on the steering wheel. He reached over and ran a hand over Theo’s knuckles.   
“Nobody dies. Nobody who doesn’t deserve it at least.” He promised and he would do his very best to keep that promise.

The lake finally came in sight and it was still as beautiful as ever but Liam could not really focus on that right now. He listened for the sound of gunshots right now, the smell of gunpowder, or the sounds of people screaming in panic. Nothing of those things happened and Liam took this as a good sign. The hunters were not there yet. “Drive as close to the meeting hall as you can.” He instructed Theo and the older nodded while he turned into the street leading to the cabins. 

They parked their cars soon and got out of the vehicles and then they heard the voices of the pack coming from the meeting hall. The doors were opened and so the core pack could step closer to the group without being noticed at first. Liam heard Byron and the rest of the council but he also heard the other pack talk.

“We are grateful you provided refuge for us but we cannot stress it enough, those hunters are dangerous and they work with some supernaturals that seemingly want us all dead.”  
“Does that make sense? Hunters, who work with supernaturals to kill other supernaturals?” Valentina asked. “It seems pointless.”  
“Kill everyone at first and then kill the people who helped you, simple and cruel.” Lana said.  
“Look, I appreciate you all coming together but I really need to talk to your Alpha. I am this pack’s Alpha, so I have to make sure my pack is safe.” The other Alpha addressed Byron. “You said your name was Byron. Byron, can we have a talk?”

Byron glanced over his shoulder shortly when Liam stepped behind him, still shielded by the tall appearance of the former Alpha. Byron chuckled and looked back at the other Alpha. “I was the Alpha but now I’m just the former Alpha and head of the council. He is our Alpha.”

Byron said it and stepped aside so the two Alphas could face each other. Liam raised his chin in a silent challenge but also to make his stand. He had nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of.

“Hi, Scott.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After two chapters of angst I decided to have a little bit of smut and lots of love here. Yes, the threat is still there and it seems another one just added to this. We will see what happens next, I can't wait to write it.  
> As always, I am excited to hear what you have to say about the chapter and I'm sorry for being so behind with replying to your comments. Life wasn't the nicest for the past few days and I channeled this into writing to feel better. I'm sorry but I work on replying to the comments as soon as I can.  
> Love you all!


	35. Talk it out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam and Scott talk it out but that doesn't mean the problems stop.

Silence stretched between the two Alphas and a childish part of Liam wanted to stick out his tongue. _I’m still the Alpha and that’s my badass pack, take that!  
_ He didn’t say it or did it for that matter and instead kept his expression neutral while he took in the few members of his former pack. Scott and Lydia, Braeden behind them. Latter seemed to have gotten involved again and she seemed pissed. Probably at the wound on her upper arm, Liam could understand that, being injured sucked. Lydia smiled tentatively at Liam and he returned the soft smile. The banshee had cuts on her cheeks and her hands, and one side of her neck was also wrapped with a bandage. Scott himself had deep cuts on his forehead and on his eye and Liam wondered why he had not been healed until now. Was he that injured or had wolfsbane been involved?

“You are the Morning Dew Pack?“ Scott finally asked incredulously.  
“We are. And we’re all Liam’s Betas.“ Lana confirmed and Liam smiled at her. She smiled back and kissed his cheek. “Good to have you back, sweetie.“  
“Good to be back.“ Liam muttered and hugged her shortly, then he returned his attention back to Scott. “Are you the only ones here?“  
“Malia and Alec are with us but they’re still injured.“  
“Will they make it through?“  
Scott tried a brave smile but faltered in the end. “They’re tough.“  
“Shana takes care of them.“ Byron filled Liam in and the Alpha nodded and looked over his shoulder. “Ever, can you go and help Shana?“  
“Sure.“ She nodded and was led to Shana’s cabin by another member of the pack named Abby.  
“She’s good at helping weres heal.“ Liam explained to Scott and this time Scott’s smile was weak but real. “Thanks.“  
Liam shrugged it off. “Anytime. If it was Theo I would wish for anybody to help him get better as fast as possible.“ He brushed his hand against his mate’s and Theo smiled softly. It gave Liam a good feeling.

The air between Scott and him was still tense and after their last encounter ended so disastrously, Liam had no real idea how to behave. A part of him saw Scott still as an older brother and wanted to hug him, another part was still annoyed at the Alpha. So he kept his distance quite a bit but didn’t want to wait for Scott’s next move.  
“You wanted to talk to the Alpha. I’m here. Let’s talk!“

Scott looked unsure. “Can we talk alone?“  
“Scott, I assure you my pack is faithful. Whatever you have to say, it is safe to say around here.“  
“We don’t trust anybody.“ A strange voice cut in and Liam’s eyes snapped to the side. A brunette woman in their age sat there, hunched over and when she now looked up, her big grey eyes seemed to bore into Liam’s soul. He didn’t like it. “Who are you?“  
“I am Clarisse, a witch, saved by Scott from those horrible, horrible hunters and the supernaturals they’re working with.“ She let out a whimper and Liam’s eyes narrowed. It was rare for him to dislike a person immediately. Yes, years of living in Beacon Hills had made him suspicious but he didn’t downright despise a person upon first meeting. Her, however, Liam could not stand immediately.  
“What kind of supernaturals?“ Theo inquired and crossed his arms over his chest. He raised one eyebrow and Liam knew that kind of look on his mate. Theo didn’t like her either.  
“I don’t know, it all happened so fast. They captured me but I couldn’t see much. I finally managed to escape after days of being in a small holding cell. I’m on the run since weeks and finally came to Beacon Hills. I knew Scott McCall would help me, it‘s what he does.“

“So what happened that brought you here?“  
“We wanted to bring Clarisse back to her coven but our car was shot at. And suddenly something tripped us over. We managed to get out and ran into the woods. So we came here.“ Lydia explained.  
“You left your car in the woods?“ Theo asked and shared a look with Liam. They would take a look at this for sure.  
Clarisse pointed a finger at Theo. “I don’t like him, he’s judgmental. Can he leave?“  
Two growls sounded up, one from Theo and one from Liam. “Careful, missy, you shouldn’t respect the Alpha’s mate like that!“ Maya warned her and let her own eyes flash.  
“Oh great, you have two LED lights for eyes. I am a witch!“ Clarisse hissed back.

“So am I and I don’t like my friend being threatened.“

Ever appeared again, next to her Malia. Scott put one arm around his girlfriend’s waist to steady her. She looked still weak but not as badly injured as Liam had feared.  
“Can you all stop this pissing contest? We have more important matters at hand. Whatever attacked us, they were fast, they were ruthless, and they had a lot of firepowers.“ Braeden’s remark cut into the tension.  
Malia looked around. “What did I miss?“  
“Scott found out that this is Liam’s pack, we were introduced to your newest charge, and Clarisse doesn’t like Theo.“ Corey helpfully filled her in. Malia frowned.  
“I can get behind the latter.“

She and Theo had gotten along better after the war but there was still a sense of resentment between these two. And maybe some sort of competition. They were both coyote to some part and those animals were not really all about pack life so maybe they constantly felt like they were crossing each other’s territory, Liam had no real explanation for this but both were not each other’s favorite person.  
Theo smirked now. “You’re really coming for me again?“  
“Looks like it.“ She snapped back.  
“I’m stronger than you. For several reasons, not just your injuries.“  
“I managed to beat you up several times. Want to give it another try?“  
“Anytime, princess!“  
“Enough!“ Two similar growls from both Alphas startled their respective partners. Liam and Scott shared a look when they both switched to Alpha mode.  
“We have more important things to worry about than that!“ Scott exclaimed.  
“Yeah, listen to your mate. Oh, wait! You’re not mated yet, right?“ Theo snarled.  
Malia bared her teeth and Liam glared at his boyfriend. “Theodore!“  
Mike laughed. “That was mean.“

Malia looked at Theo and Mike, teeth still bared, but then she narrowed her eyes. “Something’s different about you.“ She stated.  
“I didn’t shave.“ Theo drawled back and hissed when Liam’s elbow collided with his ribs. “Behave!“ The young Alpha scolded. Theo just rolled his eyes but said nothing else.  
“I would suggest you all calm down and get some rest. The injured pack for sure and the rest of you must be hungry. You are safe for now.“ Lana spoke up and it was probably the best to separate for a while.  
“I’d like to check out your car, see if I can find any evidence. Which direction did you leave the car?“ Liam said. Scott took some time to orient himself then he pointed east. “That direction. But, Liam, there is a high chance the hunters are still there. Let me come with you.“  
“No, heal completely and then you can help us. Healing is more important than fighting.“  
Scott looked surprised at that but he smiled at the end and bowed his head. “Still, the hunters will probably shoot any human coming close to the car for good measure.“  
Liam and Theo looked at each other. “We take care of that.“ They said in unison.

He turned around to his pack. “Let’s go.“ He ushered them out and Lana held out a key. “Same cabin as last time. Good to have you all back.“ She hugged him and Theo and then the other members. It felt like coming home, no matter the circumstances.  
So Liam accepted the key and his pack followed him to their cabin. “You okay?“ Maya had sped up so she could walk next to Liam and link her arm with his. Liam nodded. “Yeah. It’s strange that we have to work together after our last meeting was that bad but that’s life I guess. I will handle it.“

“And if you need us to kick his ass, we will do it.“ Mike proclaimed and Liam rolled his eyes. “Nobody kicks anybody’s ass. Aside from the bad guys, you can kick their ass as long as you want.“ He unlocked the door and stepped inside. They all carried their bags in their respective bedrooms for the time being and then met in the hallway.  
“I don’t trust Clarisse!“ Liam said and leaned against the wall.  
“I don‘t think any of us do. She has this vibe going on.“ Tim wiggled his fingers and shuddered.  
“I think she can’t be trusted. Have you seen her nails?“ Sadie asked and scrunched her nose.  
Maya barked out a laugh. “Why? Is she evil because her nails have the wrong color? Can people wearing red nail polish not be trusted?“  
Sadie scoffed. “You all know I’m all about fashion.“  
“Shocker.“ The whole pack commented in unison and she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Her nails looked absolutely marvelous. Didn’t she say she was captured and then on the run since weeks? I’m probably the president of the The-end-of-the-wold-is-no-excuse-to-look-sloppy club but her nails look like she just had them done two weeks ago. Nice and clean and not even my nails would look like this after I’ve been through so much. And I simply can’t imagine someone on the run stopping at a nail studio to have a little bit of luxury.“  
“Little details but Sadie’s right. Something about her set me off. How can you not see who captured you? Not even a little?“ Theo shared his thoughts on that.  
“I hate her and I won‘t trust her at all. Be careful, okay?“ Liam pushed himself off the wall and pulled his shirt over his head. “T, come on, let’s search for the car.“  
Theo followed his example and stripped his clothes too and not long after the two fully shifted wolfs left the cabin through the back door and ran towards the woods without anybody noticing them. Liam liked the fact that he had this element of surprise. Even Scott didn’t know he could fully shift and therefore Clarisse didn’t know either and it was always good to have some trump in the back of your hand.

Theo ran to his right and barked happily. The situation was serious but experiencing the woods Liam learned to love so much as a fully shifted wolf was so much better and he enjoyed it. His wolf felt at ease, surrounded by nature, and everything was so much more vibrant and intense. Liam listened to every little sound but foremost for any negative one like loud voices or the sound of a trigger being pulled. There was nothing and he stopped to sniff from time to time, always followed East.

Liam jumped over a fallen tree and then he spotted the faded blue of Stiles‘ jeep through the bushes. He stopped and strained his ears but heard just the birds chirping. Slowly he made his way over to the vehicle, Theo behind him, and the two wolves circled the car.  
The complete right side was littered with bullet holes, the window on the passenger side was trashed, parts of the window pipe were also broken. It explained the cuts. Some bullets had even hit the wheel and in the end, the car had crashed into some thicker roots. Liam sniffed the metal and then got on his hind paws to look inside the car. Inspecting things as a wolf had the positive effect that you saw better and could spot things way better than as a human. The thing was there wasn’t much to be spotted. It looked like a car shot up by hunters. And still, there was something wrong with this picture.

“You know what I find disturbing?“ Theo had shifted back and knelt next to the car, slowly tracing the bullet holes with his fingers.  
“That you ever tried to seduce Malia?“ Liam muttered after he shifted back. He felt the heat of Theo’s glare in the back of his neck but didn’t butch.  
“Jealous, puppy?“  
“I heard hate sex should be great.“  
“1. Disturbing. 2. Never! 3. I like the love sex with you more. 4. Jealous you is hot.“  
“Hm.“ Liam said.

Theo stepped closer and put his hands on Liam’s shoulders from behind. “Hey. I love only you, you know that, right?“  
Liam knew that, of course. But sometimes he couldn’t help himself. Malia was pretty, Malia was tough. Just like other people around and he was just Liam.  
Theo whined and pressed close to Liam. He felt Liam was upset and wanted to make it right again. “I cannot express how much I love you, Liam. Please, never doubt my love for you, okay? You’re the only one for me.“  
Liam leaned against him. “Sometimes I can’t help it. I get insecure and I don’t doubt you but myself. I see a lot of people better than me, more suitable for you, and I get afraid you will learn this one day too. That you can have better.“  
“There is nobody better for me than you. Liam, you see the good in me; you make me believe I can be a better person; you never stop believing in me and making me feel like the most important person in the world. You’re an Alpha and yet you look at me as if your world revolves around me.“  
“Because it does. You are my everything.“ Liam mumbled and turned his head to kiss Theo’s shoulder. Theo moved his head against Liam’s and they stayed wrapped around each other for a moment.

“Okay, enough feelings for now. You wanted to say you find something disturbing. What did you find?“ Liam brought their focus back to the matter at hand after a while and Theo nodded and grabbed Liam’s wrist to pull him over to the car. “Those are bullet holes without a doubt. But what bothers me is the lack of gunpowder smell. When I think about how my truck smelled after the hunters shot it up, I had the scent of gunpowder all around me even days after I fixed the holes again. And here? Nothing.“  
Liam traced his fingers over a few holes. “I would like to see the patrons that made those holes. I know literally nothing about fire weapons but there has to be some sort of patron, right?“  
“In the car’s tank?“ Theo offered. “I would crawl under but I’m too tall, even as a wolf.“  
Liam looked back towards the road. “I’m not sure. This whole story seems so off that I’m almost thinking it’s not real but maybe they thought it would be real. And I see these holes, so something happened but did it happen the way they thought it would?“  
“Now you lost me.“ Theo confessed.  
“Take the Anuk-ite. It created an illusion, showed your deepest fear.“  
“You think they were hallucinating.“ Theo understood what Liam was hinting.  
“We came across so many supernatural crap, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the explanation. So maybe we don’t have hunters to deal with but something else. We fought a thorn-spitting demon so why not…“  
“Why not have a bullet-spitting demon that can create the illusion they are shot up by hunters?“ Theo finished Liam‘s sentence. Liam glanced at him and nodded slowly.

******  
“Nice theory but can you prove it? I’m not sure how open Scott and the others would be to this. Because who tells you that this is a demon too? We encountered one demon, doesn’t mean those beasts pop up like daisies now.“ Mason was skeptical about the theory Liam and Theo shared with the pack after they came back from inspecting the car. They now sat curled on the couch and discussed everything with their pack.  
“We’re not saying this is the truth, we’re just saying it is a possibility. We have to be prepared for everything and maybe we are a bit too careful, projecting too much from Seattle into this case, but we want to be ready, you know? For whatever may come our way.“ Theo stated and Liam nodded along to that.  
“But maybe we should not share this with Scott and the others immediately. First off I would like to know more about this Clarisse chick. People who just show up in Beacon Hills and are in desperate need of help usually scream trouble.“  
“Why is everybody looking at me right now?“ Theo asked and the rest of the core pack laughed. Theo rolled his eyes but chuckled. Liam patted Theo’s leg and got up. “If you need me I will have a chat with Byron and maybe see what our guests are doing.“  
“You mean in case Theo can’t bear being apart from you for half an hour?“ Maya teased and squeaked indignantly when a pillow hit her in the face. Theo grinned innocently. Liam shook his head about his pack, but then leaned down and kissed his boyfriend goodbye, and left the cabin.

His way led him to Byron who was in the garden of his cabin and worked on repainting the wooden garden chairs. “Hey, need help?“ Liam asked and Byron looked up with a smile.  
“Liam, hello! No, it’s fine. A little break is good for me too.“ He grabbed an old cloth and wiped his hands. “So, tell me, young wolf, how has life been treating you?“  
They sat on a garden bench and Liam sighed. “So much happened since we had the last long talk, I don‘t even know where to begin.“  
“I made the experiences that when a lot happened, you should start with one thing, no matter what. Everything else will fall into place and in case of questions I have a mouth to ask.“  
“Okay.“ Liam tried to reign his own thoughts so he could actually begin. “Well, witches are getting killed in Seattle. We investigated and found this very scary demon. Crazy strong and from my deepest nightmares. Even with all of us fighting, it could overpower us and it almost killed Theo. Tossed him through a wall like he was a rag doll. He was dying, Byron. There was mercury, you know? Ever’s friend tried to save him but he was dying, his heart was about to stop.“  
“But he’s still alive, looks stronger than ever even, so does that mean what I think it means?“  
“I gave him the bite and turned him into a real werewolf, yeah.“  
“And your first bitten Beta.“  
“And my first bitten Beta.“ Liam smiled softly. “One more connection for us.“  
Byron smiled. “When you meet your soulmate you start to realize how much everything is connected with each other and all important ties lead back to them. What happened then?“  
“The demon attacked again and Ever killed it but then we met the witch responsible for all this. Her name is Celia and she is a real bitch. Am I allowed to say bitch in front of you?“  
“Say it how it is.“ Byron said amusedly.  
“Celia is also strong, gathered the powers of the witches she killed, and she wants revenge. She almost made me freeze to death and only thanks to Mckenna’s ghost and her wolf showing up I was saved from her freeze spell. Ever heard of this? That a former Alpha manifests as a ghost to help another one?“

Byron made a thoughtful face. “Why not?“ He asked Liam. “I told you, you remind me of her so it would make sense she watches over you. You are very strong, you can also fully shift, you have a lot in common.“  
Liam smiled. It was nice to have some sort of guardian. Something good watching over him. “I always thought my grandpa would be my guardian angel. He strongly believed in this when he was alive and I always liked to think he watched over me after he died. It made me even more ashamed when my IED broke through because I thought he would never be proud of me and I tried to be better.“  
Byron put a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “Liam, your condition doesn’t change anything about your grandpa being proud of you and maybe they both watch over you, Mckenna and your grandpa. Full of pride and they tell all the other ghost how amazing you are. Because you are, young wolf.“  
Liam blushed and smiled shyly. “You would have liked my grandpa and the two of you would have gotten along just great.“  
“I’m sure of that. I already like his grandson.“

Liam smiled and then remembered he still had a bit of the story to tell. “Theo can fully shift again and we think that maybe the hunters that attacked Scott and his pack are not actual hunters but maybe another demon. We don’t trust Clarisse, maybe she is evil too. And Scott is here but I have no idea how to talk to him. It is this strange tension between us.”  
“Have you had a conversation with him since your last meeting? Tried to clear the air?”  
Liam shook his head. “I didn’t contact him, he didn’t contact me, guess we were both either too proud or had no idea what to say.”  
“Well, Liam, you now have to work together, so you should try to find a common ground. I know it is hard. I know you are hurt by his reaction, but sometimes it is a sign of character to swallow the pride and take the first step.”

Liam knew Byron was right and he wanted to reconnect with his former Alpha. Scott was a friend of him, he still admired him in some ways, he wanted them to be okay again.   
“Guess I will go and talk to him now. Thanks, Byron. And sorry for keeping our last phone call so short.”  
“Liam, that’s okay. A lot happened in a very short amount of time, I don’t blame you. It doesn’t take anything away from you being a great Alpha.”  
Liam smiled and hugged Byron.  
“They are in cabin No. 3.” The former Alpha told him and then Liam left to walk to the said cabin. 

He met Alec on his way. “Oh hey, how are you?” Liam asked. His former pack mate still looked pale and had some scratches but he was awake again and could walk on his own and Liam saw this as a good sign.   
“I’m better. Whatever your friends did with my injuries, it helped very fast.”  
“That’s good.” Liam smiled at him and then scratched his neck. “Where’s Scott?”  
“Sleeping with Malia...Not sex! I mean, sleeping as in resting with her. In the cabin!”  
Alec’s slip of the tongue made Liam chuckle. Alec tugged at his sleeve. “Liam?”  
“Hm?”  
“Are we still friends?”  
“Of course, we are! Why wouldn’t we?”  
“It’s just...You became an Alpha and you sort of cut all ties. You didn’t even tell me about becoming an Alpha.”  
“I didn’t want you to be in some sort of dilemma between me and Scott. I didn’t want you having to lie to Scott, you know? We are friends, Alec, and I would love to reconnect again because I always valued your friendship. I just didn’t want to make you feel like you had to choose between me and Scott.”  
Alec seemed to understand it and he nodded. “Okay. It would have been sad to lose you as a friend. You were one of the main people who helped me with this whole werewolf thing and you being an Alpha is kind of cool.” He grinned and Liam felt himself grin back. 

“You, uhm, should probably talk with Nolan too. I know things are not great between you at the moment.”  
Alec bit his lip. “I was on my way to him actually. I just have no idea what cabin you’re staying in.”  
Liam nodded over. “Come with me, I’ll show you.”

The two werewolves walked to the cabin the core pack stayed in side by side and when they entered, they met Nolan right in the kitchen. He looked taken aback by Alec’s sudden appearance and Liam retreated immediately in search for Theo. These two should talk and since Scott was sleeping, Liam would spend the time with his mate instead.

He found Theo in their bedroom where he sat on the bed and drew on his sketchpad. Liam smiled and joined his mate there. “Hey.”  
“Hi. How did the talk with Scott go?” Theo asked after he kissed Liam gently.  
“We didn’t talk, he’s currently sleeping. I talked with Alec and we agreed to reconnect.”  
Liam snuggled close to Theo and Theo wrapped one arm around him. The young Alpha rested his head against his boyfriend’s chest and listened to the steady beating of Theo’s heart. “I’m glad I didn’t cross paths with Clarisse. I really don’t like her. Especially because she hates you.”  
“It’s not that surprising. I am very hateable.” Theo said thoughtfully and stroked through Liam’s hair.   
Liam groaned. “I hate when you talk about yourself like that.”  
“But it is the truth.”

Liam huffed and wriggled in Theo’s hold until he managed to get on top of his boyfriend and could cage The’s head between his arms. “Theo.”   
“Yeah?” Theo looked up at Liam with his incredibly beautiful eyes.  
“You think I am great, right?” Liam continued. Time to show Theo some things and hope he would finally understand.  
Theo smiled. “I think you are absolutely amazing, yes.”  
The nineteen-year-old straddled his lover. “Then tell me why I should love you if you are not as equally amazing as me.”  
“Because that’s one of the things I love about you. Your big heart. You have a good heart.” Theo explained casually and reached up to rub a hand over Liam’s chest where his heart was located. Liam sighed.

“You make this really hard!” He complained.  
The older chuckled fondly. “I’m aware. But maybe you believe in me like this helps me feel a little bit better about myself.” He admitted after a little while and really that was something. They were making progress.   
“You are a good person, Theo Raeken.” Liam mumbled stubbornly and just cuddled close to Theo right on top of Theo. Theo snorted but wrapped both arms around Liam and just held him.   
 “Tell me this more often, okay? I may act like I’m discarding it but I’ hear you, Liam. It’s just all so new to me. It’s different when you tell me I’m a good person when we are friends then when you tell me as my mate. Which doesn’t mean you telling me this when we were friends was less important but you are **my** mate now. Everything you’re telling me now has so much more weight.”  
“I will tell you this every time and for the rest of our lives. Thirty years from now I will wake you up in the middle of the night, just to tell you this.”  
Theo laughed. “Can’t wait, puppy.”

Liam smirked and snuggled close to Theo again. “It stills feels so unreal sometimes.” He whispered. “When I think about you and me together now, I sometimes can’t grasp it. It still feels like a dream that you really return my feelings and want to be with me, in a romantic relationship, and even more, that you mated with me.”   
Theo raised his hand and gently ran his fingers over Liam’s neck. “I know. A year ago I would have never thought we would be a real couple. I wanted you so much but you showed never any feelings towards me. No real feelings, at least.”  
“They were all real.” Liam raised his head and looked at his mate. “Every flirt was real. I just never thought you were being real too. And so I could do nothing else than to dream about you. About us.”   
Theo looked at him for a very long time and just stroked his cheek with two fingers before he finally pulled Liam in and kissed him softly. Liam closed his eyes and fell in the feelings only Theo could awake inside him in such a strong way. The feeling of being safe, of having a home, the feeling of belonging.

“Liam? Scott is here!” Maya called from downstairs and Liam pulled away from the kiss. “Want me to come with you when you’re having the talk with him?” Theo inquired and Liam shook his head.   
“I’ll talk to him alone. But when I’m telling the pack about you being my first bitten Beta, then I want you around.”  
“Okay.” Theo nodded and kissed him again. “Good luck.”  
“Thanks.”

Liam kissed his boyfriend one last time for good measure and then got up from the bed to leave the room and walk downstairs to greet Scott. “Hi.”  
“Hey.” Scott tried a small smile. “Can we talk?”  
Liam nodded. “Sure. Let’s go for a walk?” He offered and Scott nodded so Liam grabbed his jacket and got into his shoes before he left the cabin with Scott again.   
The two Alphas walked for a while. Scott looked around. “Your pack surely has a beautiful territory.”   
“Thanks.” Liam nodded curtly and they fell silent again. The younger Alpha internally rolled his eyes and stopped walking. “Okay, I’m done with that. No more tiptoeing around, let’s start right from the beginning, shall we? Because I hate how things currently are between us and I want to change it!”  
“I hate it too.” Scott was not lying, Liam heard no change in his heartbeat. 

“So, Theo and I came here last summer to have four days off and just relax, recharge our batteries. We needed the break because time’s had been stressful with college, our jobs, our new life in Seattle. We came here and we met the pack. They are amazing and so open-minded and lovely. We met the Alpha couple, Byron and Lana, and they invited us for a BBQ and we talked about everything, they told us about the unique way the pack chooses their next Alpha. That the current Alpha decides when they are too old or too weak and looks who is the most suitable for taking over. It doesn’t have to be the strongest or the fastest, there are so many factors an Alpha can decide on a successor and I liked that. That not everything is set in stone and people have the chance to change. Byron taught me the philosophy of the pack, to see the wolf as a partner and not as something I need to control and keep in chains. I learned to work with him and he loves it around here, you would be surprised. My wolf and I, we became such a great team, Scott, it’s awesome!” Liam beamed at Scott while he talked and Scott had to chuckle at his obvious excitement.

“And then Byron asked me if I wanted to become his successor and my first answer was No. But Theo and my inner wolf made me change it. I started dreaming about my inner wolf and it gave me the confidence that maybe I wouldn’t be that bad at this job. I had you as my idol, even though I knew I would never be like you. And so I accepted, we held the ritual, and Byron transferred his Alpha spark to me. And when Theo and I drove home again, I decided I wanted to tell you face to face but you were busy in Mexico and that was okay. But my life continued, I told Mason and Corey and they joined the pack, and suddenly Maya showed up and then hunters came to town and Theo almost died because he had been poisoned with wolfsbane. Nolan became part of the pack, Isaac came into the picture and then Sadie. At the same time a wendigo was running around and almost killed a little boy and when we finally killed her, we became a real pack. You canceled your visit and maybe I was okay with it because it gave me more time to beat around the bush, whatever, we had a rogue Alpha show up and he bit Mike and Tim and even after the Alpha was defeated we now had two newly bitten werewolves which wasn’t easy. My Betas needed to learn control and when they finally did it, Theo and I kissed for the first time and all this happened in the span of six months more or less and we still had not talked and I guess it was a bit unfair of me to jump at you like this but I couldn’t wait any longer and that’s basically what brings me here. You see, a lot happened and it was never my plan to leave you out but life kept happening in such a way and we both were busy. I never wanted to betray you, I never wanted to give off the vibe that I don’t care about you or my old pack. I love you guys but I changed. And things changed even more after we met last time.” Liam ended and shrugged. He essentially had told Scott everything that happened and now he had no idea what to say next.

Scott stared at him. “Did you...Did you even breathe while talking? Not gonna lie, Li, this is probably the most I heard you talk in one go when it’s not about some history topic.” He looked really impressed. “You changed a lot, Liam.”  
“I grew up and even though I still have a lot of growing up to do, I’m not the same Liam I was back in Beacon Hills.” Liam smiled tentatively. “And I just want you to be proud of me. I’m not leading my pack the same way you’re leading yours, I’m not making decisions the same way you do, we are totally different, but I try to be a good Alpha, just like you. And I really really would like for our two packs to have some sort of affiliation.”

“I am proud of you, Liam! When you told us about you and being an Alpha I was surprised because I couldn’t understand why you decided to keep it a secret for so long. I appreciate you wanting to tell me face-to-face but when life got in between, you could have called. I still don’t fully understand it.”  
“I told you, I was scared you would think I killed an Alpha.”  
“Liam, I know you’re not a murderer!” Scott looked at Liam with one of the most open looks he ever got from his former Alpha.   
“But you think I am a timebomb, prone to fly off the handle!” Liam argued back and Scott grimaced.  
“I know you can be a bit hot-tempered sometimes but I also know Theo is a very good anchor for you and when you would have told me that you didn’t kill, I would have never doubted you. Liam, you’re like my little brother, I know you have a good heart and I felt our bond as Alpha and Beta slip bit I thought this was because of the distance between us. I never imagined it was because you became an Alpha yourself but damn, Liam, I am proud. And this pack, their philosophy, it’s unique and it suits you. It’s astonishing.”  
Liam raised both eyebrows. “Astonishing? Are you learning vocabulary again?”   
Scott laughed at the teasing. “Maybe.” He said. “Come here.” He offered a hug and Liam moved to hug him back. Former Alpha and Beta hugged tightly. “I am proud of you, Liam, and I would like for our packs to be affiliated!” Scott muttered into Liam’s ear and Liam chuckled happily. 

When they broke their hug, Liam felt lighter than before. He and Scott had finally talked it out and it felt great. “Can I give you an advice as your affiliate?”   
Scott grinned. “Sure.”  
“Don’t trust Clarisse.”  
Liam’s serious advice made Scott laugh. “I should have known you would say that. What’s your problem with her?”  
“Well, for once she hates my mate!”

“Yeah, by the way, that’s the other thing I wanted to talk with you about. How did you and Theo manage to mate that quickly?”  
“The mating process itself is quite simple, that can happen anytime.”  
“Liam!”  
“What? I’ve been in love with this man for years. And he is always there for me, is an amazing first Beta and always has my back. Theo is one of the main reasons I am the Alpha I am. Without him, I would be lost, and then I finally kissed him and he kissed me back and we got together and it was like everything I dreamed of and so much more and after months of being together, I just felt like claiming him was the next logical step for my wolf and he accepted and claimed me too.” A fond smile appeared on Liam’s face and he shook his head. “I will never regret mating Theo because he is the love of my life and he continuously helps me to become a better person, a better version of myself. He’s good at dealing with my crap and I need his brutally honest way of seeing things to not get overboard. Theo grounds me, just like an anchor should, and he is also the reason for my happiness. I love him and I will never love anybody else like that.”

Scott looked at Liam and Liam felt somebody step closer to him and wrap one arm around Liam’s waist while Malia stepped next to Scott. Lydia and Alec were there too and smiled. Soft lips pressed against Liam’s temple. “I love you too.”, Theo whispered and Liam smiled.   
“Did you talk?” Malia inquired.  
“We did.”, Scott confirmed with a nod and a smile and Liam smirked.  
“We managed to get over it and find a common ground. We both are Alphas now and our packs will be affiliated.”, Liam announced proudly. Theo pulled him closer. “That’s great. Have you already talked about the hunter situation?”

“Not yet. We wanted to talk about Clarisse.”  
“Uh, I hate her!” Theo and Malia said at the same time and looked at each other. Liam was highly amused by this. “That has to be the first time you two actually agree on something.”  
“Yeah, well, she is a real bitch!” Malia growled.   
“Liam said we shouldn’t trust her.”, Scott remembered. “Do you have reasons to say that? Because I may not trust her fully but she came to us and asked for help and somebody did attack us so I have no reason to believe she lied.”  
“Didn’t you notice the lack of gunpowder scent around the car?”, Theo inquired with a frown. “We checked your car out and yes, the bullet holes are there but we have neither bullets nor gunpowder scent anywhere and that’s strange. Not everything is as it appears to be.”  
“What Theo is hinting at is that we currently have a problem with a psychotic witch in Seattle. It is bad.  She has thorn-spitting demons too and maybe we are projecting but we feel like those two cases might belong together.”, Liam explained. 

“How bad is bad?”, Lydia questioned.   
Liam and Theo looked at each other. “We had two run-ins. The first one was with one of her demons and it left me dying, the second one was with herself and it left Liam almost freezing to death. That bad.”, Theo gave a summary of the outcome.   
“And you think Clarisse could be working with her?” Alec seemed unsure of that.  
Liam shrugged. “I think it is strange that you get captured and see nothing of the people capturing you. She says they are hunters working with supernaturals, how can she know that when she never saw them? The whole story sounds so incredibly strange and Sadie’s right, her nails are too perfect for somebody on the run since weeks.”   
Lydia grinned at the last part but then got serious again. “if you are right, then what are we supposed to do? Send Clarisse away? Vanquish her?”  
“With vanquish her you mean to kill her? I volunteer!”, Malia snarled and her eyes flashed blue. 

“Nobody is killing anybody right now!”, Scott stated. “Not without further proof. I get why you have this theory and I agree, it makes sense, but there is also a chance she is honest and she is in need of help. We can’t abandon her without any evidence that she is indeed evil or works with your witch.”   
“I agree, we don’t condemn anybody until we have proof.”, Liam sided with Scott. “But still, you should be careful. What was your destination before your stopped here by the way?”  
“Clarisse said her coven is from around Washington and we wanted to bring her back. Stiles and Derek were waiting in Washington but are now on their way here.”  
“You cannot drive anywhere anyway. Your car is pretty broken down.” Theo shrugged. “Nothing a few days in the workshop can’t fix though.”  
“As long as you are here, you are safe from hunters or witches or whatever. My pack gives you shelter.” Liam wanted to state this again and make sure they knew. Scott smiled at him.   
“We know. Thank you.”

Maya appeared. “We cooked and we are all starving, so would you like to come before there is no more food left?” She invited everybody and Liam grinned but then nodded over. He grabbed Theo’s hand and laced their fingers together and the whole group marched to the cabin of the core pack where spaghetti Carbonara was waiting for them all. Even Clarisse showed up after a while and Theo glared at her from across the table before he sighed and leaned over to Liam.  
“Being good sucks sometimes. Can I at least throw some sauce at her?”, he complained and Liam snorted in his food before he swallowed and put his hand on Theo’s knee.   
“No. Does it help you to know I like you being good?”  
Theo looked at Liam and a sly smirk appeared on his handsome face. “Completely good? Or am I allowed to be a little naughty?”, he whispered into Liam’s ear and Liam chuckled.   
“A little bit sinful and naughty is allowed. That makes you Theo after all.”   
“And I’m only naughty for you.”, Theo promised and kissed Liam’s cheek. “The talk with Scott was okay?” 

Liam nodded. “He understood my reasons and told me he is proud of me. We managed to clear the air. It’s more relaxed between us now.”   
“That’s good, right? We can focus on the threat on hand now.”  
“Yep.”, Liam nodded and squeezed Theo’s leg. “I am happy we could talk about everything and I managed to make Scott see from my point of view. I missed him as someone I can ask for advice every now and then. He is important to me after all.”  
“I know.” Theo smiled and put his arm on the backrest of Liam’s chair. “I’m happy for you. You deserved to have it solved and have him listen to you.”  
“It worked out in the best way possible.” Liam moved closer so he could whisper in Theo’s ear and have no one else overhear their conversation. “I still have not told him about you or my ability to shift. I didn’t want to shove everything at him at once again, that didn’t work well last time.”   
“I won’t judge you for that, you know that. And with this witch bitch running around I’m not sure you should lay everything open. Some trumps are good.” 

Scott’s cell phone rang with an incoming call and he accepted the call. “Stiles...Yep, that’s right, you need to drive into the smaller street next chance...Exactly. We’re in cabin No. 7 currently.”, he routed Stiles to where they were currently gathered and then hung up. Not even five minutes later, there was a knock at the door and when Nolan went to open it, Stiles and Derek stepped in.  
“I smell food.”, Stiles announced.  
“We have food.”, Tim said. “Sit down and take some.”

The group moved closer together so Stiles and Derek could also fit at the table and grab something to eat. “So, did the two packs merge or did you decide on co-leading?”, Stiles asked and pointed his fork at Scott and then at Liam.  
“We talked and decided to help each other.”, Scott explained his best friend.   
“Uh-uh. And who is the Uber-Alpha?”  
“Why does there have to be an Uber-Alpha?”, Sadie inquired. “And it would be Liam because this is our pack’s territory.”  
Stiles gave her a sharp look. “Feisty little one. You remind me of another blonde werewolf I once knew.”  
A small smile appeared on Derek’s face. “Erica?”, Sadie wanted to know. “Isaac compared me to her once too.”  
“Speaking off, where is the scarf soufflé by the way?”  
“Currently? Japan.”, Nolan answered. “He will be back next week.”

Stiles nodded. “Okay, onto my next questions. You!” He pointed his fork at Liam again. “Alpha, huh? I had so many questions last time and couldn’t ask them. So, you’re the Alpha of this pack?” He pointed at the other members of the core pack.   
“And of the whole pack living around here.”, Lydia added and Stiles gaped at her. “Okay, from those around as well, fine. And you are an Alpha by ritual. Does that give you any special abilities?”  
“Well, just like a True Alpha, an Alpha by ritual can only give away their power by the ritual again or have it taken away by their bitten Betas. Special abilities? No. Not more than the usual.” He grinned at the end and his pack chuckled as well. Stiles tilted his head. “What’s so funny?”  
“Nothing.”, Liam said highly amused. “It’s an inside joke.”  
Stiles narrowed his eyes. “Sure.” He drawled. 

Then he looked at Theo. “And what about you? What are you up to?”  
“Something’s different about him.”, Malia butted in and shared her impression with Stiles which prompted him to give Theo a quizzical once-over. Theo smirked and kept his relaxed state in his seat.  
“I am great, thank you for asking. Life’s challenging but I have an amazing pack and an awesome mate. What else could I ask for?”  
“Aren’t you the sweetest?”, Mike teased him and Theo grinned.  
“Shut up, Mikey. Eat your spaghetti so you grow big and strong.”  
“Is that an order, oh second Alpha?”  
“What do you think?” Theo still grinned and Liam just laughed at his pack’s antics. Having them joke around with each other made him feel at ease and no matter how serious the situation was, as long as they were like this, they would be okay. 

“You all get along very well, hm?”, Alec asked in the open.  
“We are family, grown together over months.”, Maya explained with a fond smile.   
“Liam and Theo really did a great job uniting the whole pack and helping each of us. It wasn’t always easy and we probably gave them a headache more than once. But that never stopped them from helping.”, Sadie complemented.  
Mike nodded. “Word.”  
Liam and Theo laughed. “You were not that bad!”, Liam exclaimed and Sadie scoffed.   
“Mike and I were!”, she insisted.   
“Okay, yeah, maybe, but it all worked out in the end and that’s all that matters, right? That we managed to come together and become the core pack we are now. We all changed in the progress.”, Liam said. 

“True. I would have never expected to finish my college degree in Seattle in the beginning.”, Mason mused.  
“Oh yes, I was surprised when I saw your post about moving.”, Lydia remembered. “How did this happen?”  
“We wanted to be closer to the pack, felt left out. When you always have to drive back home and leave your friends to fight off Alphas and wendigos on their own, you get a bad feeling that you’re not where you’re supposed to be. When we finally talked about it, it wasn’t much to discuss.”, Corey replied to her. “That what makes our pack different than the McCall pack. You all are more or less scattered and still maintain your pack bonds, we rather all live together in one big house. Minus the pack here at the lake but that goes without saying. So every pack is different.”

“It is good that packs are different. And it is interesting to see how you are managing your pack life.”, Scott chimed in and a genuine smile was on his face while he spoke. Liam searched his eyes and smiled back. It really made him feel good that Scott said this and appreciated the differences between their packs. Their packs were not really being comparable. He was proud of both packs, his old pack but his new pack especially. If they all worked together, they could solve the hunter case and maybe even the situation with Celia. They had established a healthy work relationship now.

Leave it to Clarisse to cause trouble again.

“It is great to see you working together and that you Alphas decided to push your differences aside. Always nice to see friends make up again. And, Scott, I am really impressed how easy you handle the revelation that Theo is Liam’s first bitten Beta.”

Stiles’ cutlery fell on his plate, Scott spat out his water, Theo growled at Clarisse, and Liam glared in her direction. “What?”, Lydia asked in the silence that spread out around the table. Only Malia growled. “I knew something was different about you!”  
“Liam, is she right? Did you really have a bitten Beta? Did you give Theo the bite?”, Scott asked and the way he looked at Liam showed his utter shock and surprise.   
Liam growled. “How do you know that?”, he asked and Clarisse shrugged. “I can read minds.”, she snapped in her obnoxious voice.  
“This is the actual truth? You bit _Theo_ of all people?” Siles was as shocked as the rest of the McCall pack but he voiced his disbelief loudly.  
Liam had glared daggers at Clarisse and now averted his eyes to look at Stiles and finally Scott. “He was dying.”, he simply stated. “I had no other choice. Yes, I gave Theo the bite and turned him into a real werewolf and my first bitten Beta.”

Scott gaped at Liam before he finally found his voice again. “I thought you told me everything!”  
“I did. Mostly. I didn’t want to throw everything at you again and this wasn’t something I deemed important for us to work together.”  
“Theo being a real werewolf instead of a chimera is important!”, Malia hissed.   
Theo raised one eyebrow. “Why? Because you still think I am evil?”  
“No, but it changes the entire dynamic.”, Lydia stated.  
“The dynamic of my pack, yeah.” Liam agreed with that but he still saw no problem. “It doesn’t even affect you. At all. He is my first bitten Beta and it was my decision to give him the bite. I don’t have to ask anyone for allowance when it comes to me giving the bite. I have to respond to me and my pack, nobody else. So I really didn’t see it as essential to tell you right after we managed to get along again. It doesn’t take away anything from what I said to you, Scott. I told you everything important that you needed to know. I would have told you soon enough but I would have loved to choose the moment myself.” Liam glared at Clarisse again. “So, you all stop acting like I committed a crime or as if that means the end of the world.”

“Well.”, Clarisse began and pursed her lips. “Maybe they act like that because the thought of Theo Raeken as a chimera was terrifying but the thought of him being a real werewolf is even more terrifying.”  
“You really want one of us to kick your ass, huh?”, Maya asked incredulously while Liam hissed at her.  
“Leave!” He growled. “That goes for everyone who has a problem with this!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sick so writing this chapter took longer than expected and I'm glad I finally managed. I know I'm leaving with some sort of cliffhanger again and we're switching from one point to discuss to another one but I feel like this gives the whole dynamic a real feel.  
> Anyway, as always I am excited to see what you have to say about it.


	36. New developments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The situation with Clarisse is still hanging over the pack's head but Liam still finds time to think about his future with Theo. We learn a little bit more about Lana and Byron. Mike struggles with the fact that he has not learned to take pain yet.

“I just want to be prepared and that’s why it is important to run through this.”   
Liam looked at the council and his mate. They all nodded along to his words and Liam felt a little bit of the weight on his shoulders being lifted. He nodded too, probably to assure himself as well they had a plan in case everything was going to shit.

After Clarisse felt the insatiable need to inform Liam’s old pack about Theo having been bitten by Liam, Scott and his pack had left the cabin relatively fast and now they were back to a very tense mood between the two packs. Alec was the only bridge between the packs because he still hung out with Nolan and they talked, but the others were quiet and Liam hoped it was just because they needed to overcome the surprise of Theo being an actually bitten werewolf. Not that Liam could understand the surprise. Maybe a little bit but he really didn’t get the big deal. Theo had just shrugged when Liam voiced his thoughts and a sad frown had pulled the corner of his mouth down and alone for that they all deserved a slap. But Liam had more important things to do than to go around and slap sense into people and so he had grabbed Theo’s hand and called the council together in the meeting hall to discuss the newest events.   
“I hate this Clarisse chick and when she really works with Celia it is good to have a plan to bring kids and injured or weak people out of harm's way as soon as possible.” Liam sighed. “I don’t force anybody to fight, so whoever wants to leave with them, can leave. You others should be prepared for a very heavy fight.”  
“Cedric, Bernie, and I will bring them to a safe place and return as fast as possible to help you here,” Valentina promised and Liam smiled at her. “You’re not doing this alone, Liam.”  
“He’s not alone!” Theo corrected. Liam gave him a look. 

“I am aware you would stay by my side but if things really take a turn for the worse, you all will leave and I will stay and fight as many demons off as I can.”  
Theo crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed. “If you really think I would leave you when demons actually attack, you have lost your fucking mind. You can go Alpha on me all the way you want, you’re also my mate and there is no way in hell I would leave you behind!”  
Liam knew Theo wouldn’t and he was aware no matter how much he was demanding it in his Alpha mode when things got worse Theo would simply flip him off and ignore him altogether on his mission to protect Liam. So Liam decided to end this discussion now by leaning in and pecking Theo’s lips.   
“Let’s talk about this when it comes down to it. There is no use in talking about this now.”  
“Good choice, Liam. No use in stressing this now, you have other things to worry about now,” Shana agreed with an affirmative smile. “Just know if you need us, we will be there, Alpha.”

Liam nodded again. He felt better to have his whole pack around him. He still didn’t trust Clarisse and with the whole tension between him and Scott now, he had no idea how else to go from here. He currently expected the worst outcome possible since they still had the thread of hunters or whatever attacked the jeep looming over them. So Liam worked on making sure his pack knew what to do in case anything happened and he had made necessary arrangements. 

He gave the sign for the meeting to disperse and ran both hands through his hair when his pack members left the hall, only Theo stayed back. He still sat at the table and watched Liam. “This whole situation sucks, huh?”  
Liam barked out a laugh. “You can say that.” He leaned against the table and groaned. Theo reached up and rubbed his hand over Liam’s side. “I’m sorry,” he said sadly.  
“What are you sorry for?” Liam asked incredulously.   
“The whole situation is because of me.”  
“Theo! No! This isn’t because of you! This is because this bitch witch doesn’t know how to mind her own business. And my dear old pack really needs to get their shit together as well. But none of this is your fault.”   
Theo pulled his shoulders higher almost as if he wanted to shield himself a bit. “I’m not sure. They have these prejudices against me, so it is my fault.”

Liam knelt down and took Theo’s hands in his. “None of this is your fault at all! Okay? Please, don’t  think that!”  
He put his hand on the back of Theo’s neck and pulled him into a soft and loving kiss. “I love you so much. You are a good person, Theo Raeken. Anybody who can’t see this is dumb.” He pressed small kisses against Theo’s lips until he felt Theo kiss back and slot their lips together in a soft and deep kiss. 

“Liam, are you here? I...Oh.”

Liam sighed and pulled away from the sweet kiss to turn his head towards the entrance where Lydia had appeared and finally got to his feet. The redhead had a kind smile on her face and watched the couple. “Sorry for disturbing you.”  
“It’s okay,” Liam waved it off. “Can I help y...” He yelped in surprise when two arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him onto Theo’s lap.   
“Sorry.” Theo kissed his neck. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”  
“Nah, it’s okay.” Liam smiled lovingly and wrapped one arm around Theo’s shoulder while he looked back at Lydia. “Once more: How can I help you?”

Lydia played with her fingers. “I wanted to talk to you. We had a pack internal talk and I wanted to have yet another talk with you. I’m sorry for how things ended last time.” She sighed. “I personally think it is important for you to know we are not against any of you. We’re not against you, Liam, and we are not against you, Theo. Neither as a chimera nor as a werewolf.”  
Liam growled. “Could have fooled me,” he snarled.   
“Liam, we know Theo is not evil and we made our peace with him. We were just surprised by the sudden revelation. You have to understand that.” 

Liam scoffed and shook his head. He was too stubborn to be reasonable for now and just tightened his hold on Theo.   
“You have to understand that we stick together and protect each other,” Theo retaliated and wrapped his arms around Liam. “And maybe you are surprised by me becoming a real werewolf but let it be known, I am not the Theo I once was. You don’t have to be scared of me or worried I might snap. I just want to protect my pack and my Alpha, my mate.”  
Lydia smiled at him. “I know that and the others knew that as well. And Scott also understands why Liam didn’t tell him from the start but he’s still surprised. This is so much new information, cut him some slack, Liam.”  
Liam grumbled and then sighed.   
“I know it was all a bit too much and I’m sorry you guys felt overwhelmed but I stand by what I said. Theo becoming a werewolf is something that affects my pack, not yours, so it’s not necessarily important to your pack. And I hate Clarisse.”  
“I don’t think anybody aside herself likes her,” Theo scoffed.  
Lydia rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. Malia growled at her the whole time and Alec says he finds her creepy.”  
“True words,” Liam muttered. 

“I still stand by my words, we will help you sort out this problem with the hunters or whatever,” he then added and Lydia smiled at him.  
“Thank you, Liam. And...I’m sorry. You are right, we all have been treating you like you’re still a baby and not a young adult.”  
It meant a lot to Liam that Lydia apologized to him and he smiled and nodded. “Forgive and forget, we have more important things to worry about.”  
“Spoken like a true Alpha,” Lydia said approvingly.  
“Liam is a great Alpha. He cares deeply and is always ready to protect his pack,” Theo chimed in and Liam smiled at his mate before he kissed him lovingly. “Thanks,” he muttered against Theo’s lips and Theo stroked his back in a silent reply. 

Lydia cleared her throat softly. “I will leave you two to it and tell Scott you’re still standing with your offer to help. And probably make Scott come over and apologize, maybe followed by Stiles.”  
Liam laughed. If there was one person who would be able to make Scott and Stiles do it, it was Lydia.   
“Lyds? Thank you.” Liam meant it and she smiled before she smoothed down her skirt and turned to leave.  
“Don’t mention it. That’s what friends do.”

She left the meeting hall and Theo looked at Liam. “And what are your plans now?”  
“I can’t sit around and wait for something to happen.” Liam let his eyes travel in search of something to pass time. “I think I’ll go on a hike, a walk through the woods surely will help me clear my mind.”  
“A hike?” Theo sounded surprised but then he smiled. “Sounds nice. Am I allowed to accompany you?”  
“If you want, you are allowed to accompany me, of course.”

Liam smiled and got to his feet to leave the hall, Theo trailing behind him. They just stopped by their cabin to grab something to drink, then they left the cabin again and guided their steps towards the woods. Liam inhaled the fresh air around them.   
"You okay?” Theo inquired.  
Liam nodded. “Yeah. I just can’t sit around and wait for whatever it is we’re waiting for. An attack or a solution to this whole mess, Clarisse showing her true colors. I’m going crazy if I just have to sit around. You know me, I’m not good at waiting.”  
They both pursued the course of the waterfall from the time Liam had been asked to become Byron’s successor. Nobody said a word and Liam just concentrated on the nature around them.    
Theo chuckled. “I know you’re one impatient puppy but I was more talking about you in general. A lot happened and you’ve been through a lot of emotional stuff lately. Are you coping well?”  
Liam gave him a look. “Don’t you think you would be the first to know if I wasn’t okay?”  
“Liam,” Theo muttered with a light scold in his voice.  
“I am okay. I want nothing more than to kick Clarisse’s ass, find Celia and rip her and her demons apart, but I am okay. I promise I will tell you if that changes.”

Theo seemed to be satisfied with his mate’s answer and just sped up a bit so he could walk right next to Liam. They passed the way to the waterfall but instead of choosing the path to the waterfall they walked further into the woods. It wasn’t a path they ever took before but a part of Liam was excited to explore the woods he grew to love so much.

“What about you? How are you? You’re still getting used to being a real werewolf and the pack’s reaction to you as a werewolf has not been that positive.”  
Theo shrugged. “I don’t care about them. I was never part of Scott’s pack and I understand why. But **my** pack thinks greatly of me and that’s important.”   
It was heartwarming to hear that and Liam turned his head to smile at Theo. “I love you and you are a great person. A good person.”   
“You really plan on telling me this as often as you can, huh?” Theo sounded amused.   
“Of course I do.” Liam grinned. “Because I know you stubborn little shit and that’s why I know I need to tell you this as often as possible. Maybe one day you will believe me.”  
Theo looked at him and slowly his lips curved into a fond smile. “You are incredible, Liam.”

Liam just grinned and climbed up a smaller hill. “Now come on, my dear Beta, sped up a bit, I want to see what’s up the hill there.” He fell into an easy jog and soon enough Theo followed him. Liam was not moving too fast so Theo could keep up with him. It was nice to be in the woods with Theo by his side.

The woods around them changed slightly, more conifers and a distinct earthy scent in the air, while the air itself became even clearer and fresher the higher they went up the hill. And then the woods cleared lightly and gave rooms for a smaller hiking path uphill. You could see the lake down in the valley and the cabins all around looking like little toy houses. It made Liam realize how far up they already were but he was determined to take the last part as well and rest on top of the hill. He only stopped when they finally reached the top of the hill and he sat down on a boulder to rest and drink some water. Theo settled next to him and the mated couple just enjoyed the breathtaking view in front of them. 

“I still don’t know what to make out of Clarisse’s actions. I am sure now she works with Celia or is just as evil and I hate her with a burning passion.” Liam suddenly said and Theo snorted. He pushed himself off the boulder and walked closer to the edge to balance on some smaller stones and boulders.  
“She’s a bitch but if she works with Celia - and I’m sure she does - her tactic is remarkable and very effective.”  
“Huh?” Liam frowned at that.  
“Going to Scott of all people? Any other pack would have been not half as effective. You and Scott have history, and Celia obviously knows things about us, she probably watched us for weeks before she made her move. So going to that one Alpha that is incredibly righteous and has a tendency to help strangers and even people who did him wrong once or twice and was your former Alpha holds a lot conflict potential. And with Clarisse being able to read minds, she knows how things are between Scott and you and that you have not told him everything. Perfect premises to cause trouble.”  
“I’m not sure what’s more upsetting. You admiring our enemy’s tactic or that you are actually right.”  
Theo grinned and spun around on one foot to balance to the other side of the boulders. 

“Can you stop dancing on the edge like that? Werewolf or not, I’m sure you won’t survive a fall. No matter how graceful your balancing looks.”  
“Aw, puppy, I’m careful and the edge is still a bit away from me. Even if I stumble, I won’t fall down, don’t worry your pretty head.”  
To prove his point Theo jumped from the boulder and landed beyond it. Despite his words, Liam had almost gotten a heart attack.  
“Stop that!” He hissed.

Theo snickered and climbed the boulder again. “It’s safe, puppy, okay? Stop worrying so much. Do you really think I would do it if it was that dangerous?”  
“Want an honest answer to this?” Liam suspiciously watched Theo jumping and climbing. “You’re such a nursery child sometimes. Always running around, never able to sit still.”  
“I’m the perfect match for you then, huh, puppy?” Theo retaliated and jumped off the boulder in a perfect backflip.   
Liam had to laugh. “Showoff!”

“Let me boast a bit in front of you, Alpha!” Theo shouted back and ran towards a tree with some lower hanging branches. He leaped up and used the tree trunk to jump even higher and pull himself on the lowest branch. He sat down, legs hanging off the branch, and grinned at Liam. “See, my mate is around, I have to show off a bit in front of him. Show him I’m a worthy mate and all.”

“Oh, your mate already knows you’re worthy. Think I would plan on marrying you otherwise?” Liam leaned back on his hands and watched Theo. 

Theo smiled at him. “I like when you say that.”

“I like to imagine it,” Liam confessed. “Us getting married I mean and how life would change. And then I find it wouldn’t change much, not now at least. We would still be Theo and Liam, would still be absolutely in love, and would still have each other’s backs. I would still worship the ground you’re walking on, the only difference would be that even non-supernaturals would know we belong together because we share the same last name and each have a ring on their finger to prove it. And then I’m thinking about our future when we both have stable jobs and are older and I think about coming home to you after a long hard day. I think about the most ordinary things, like simply telling someone you’re my husband when they ask or how it would be to look at my hand and see the wedding band there.”

Theo played with a smaller twig sticking out from the branch he was sitting on. “Are you thinking about children?” He finally asked in a small voice and when he looked up he seemed unsure.  
“I told you my point of view on that one. Yes, I sometimes think about children because seeing you as a dad would be amazing, but I can imagine our life without kids of our own as well. We would be the cool uncles because our pack surely will have some kids in it in a few years and they need cool uncles to do all the stuff with their parents are not allowing.” He grinned cheekily and Theo laughed but then grew serious again.  
“I feel like I rip you off the possibility to be a dad yourself if I ever decide against kids.”  
Liam shook his head. “You’re not. There is nobody else I will ever love more than you and if you decide you don’t want kids, I will be fine to live my life with you and only you. You’re not ripping me off anything.”

Theo looked astonished. “How can you love me so much? How is that even possible?”  
Liam blushed and shrugged shyly. “Have you met yourself? I fell in love with everything about you over the years and the closer we got the easier it was for me to love you like this. You deserve the world, Theo Raeken, and I’m willing to give it to you.”

Theo jumped from the branch and walked over to Liam to grab his hand and pull him to his feet before he wrapped both arms around Liam’s waist. “You are my world. And I will love you until the end of time.” He smiled lovingly. “I know you have this strange deal with Mason about who gets married first but I’m seriously considering asking Mike for his parents' private jet just so we can fly to Las Vegas and I can marry you when we managed to repel the witch problem.”  
Liam chuckled and wrapped his arms around Theo’s neck. “I’d love that actually,” he admitted. The thought of finally getting to call Theo his husband was alluring. “If you fly in mom too because she demanded to be the hysterical crying mother on my wedding.”  
Theo laughed loudly, undoubtedly picturing this. “Deal!”

They kissed softly and for a moment Liam forgot everything around them. Every threat, every quarrel with his former pack, it all was forgotten in the bliss of kissing the love of his life. Theo was the key element of his entire being and Liam belonged to his mate with body, mind, and soul.   
He smiled at Theo when they broke away from the kiss to catch their breath and leaned his forehead against Theo’s, their breaths mingling. “I can’t describe how much I love you,” Liam muttered.  
“You’re doing a great job at showing me,” Theo replied and pressed a soft and chaste kiss on Liam’s lips again. “I hope I show you how much I love you as well.”  
“You do,” the young Alpha assured him. “I know how much you love me and you show me every day, future husband.”  
“I love it when you call me that.” Theo laughed happily and Liam leaned against him, a big smile on his face. 

They enjoyed the view some while longer, arms wrapped around each and content with being close.   
“I know the situation with these two bitch witches is serious but we will manage, just like we managed everything else to this point. As a team and we’re a pretty great team,” Theo muttered after a while and Liam nodded softly.   
“We really are.”  
The couple looked at each other again, then they shared another sweet kiss before they finally made their way down the hill and back to the cabin again. On their way back Liam took Theo’s hand again and swung their hands back and forth a few times.

“I remember our first stay here when the pack showed us the meeting point up the hill, and you carried me back to our cabin. I felt safe back then and it was nice to be so close to you. God, I was so in love with you back then, and it was so sad because I never even imagined you returning my feelings.”  
“Yeah, when you were so sure I wasn’t feeling the same way, why did you kiss me? Not that I’m not happy you did, but why did you do it?”  
Liam thought about the particular moment. He still remembered what he had been feeling and thinking right before he kissed Theo.  
“You were always there for me, always by my side, and we just managed a very difficult night. Our Betas had learned control and I was over the moon. It was a kneejerk reaction and at the same time the only thing I could think of doing at this moment. I wasn’t even scared, didn’t even think that far, and it only occurred to me I may have crossed way too many lines when you didn’t kiss me back in the beginning.”  
“I was surprised. You did something I never thought you would do, so forgive me for not reacting immediately. And I kissed you back relatively fast.” 

Liam chuckled. “Relax, cutie, it worked out just fine.”  
Theo looked at Liam and made a face. “Did you just call me cutie? Really, Liam?”   
The nineteen-year-old grinned and bit his lip. “I think I did. You **are** cute! Sometimes. One cute tough cookie.”  
“Please stop!” Theo pleaded and when Liam looked at him, he started to laugh.  
“Are you seriously blushing right now?” Liam was amused to no end.  
“I’m not! Stop making fun of me!”  
“Never! It is insanely cute that you’re blushing. There it is again! Cute!”

Theo growled playfully and let go of Liam’s hand. “Cheeky Alpha puppy! Run!” He prompted and Liam grinned and then picked up the challenge and started running. His wolf whooped inside his chest and howled happily when Liam looked over his shoulder and saw his mate chasing him. 

They ran down the hill and straight toward the cabin they shared with their pack. Mason was the first who came in sight, he seemed like he was searching for somebody.   
“Liam! Hey, there you are!” He frowned when he saw his best friend running. “Is everything okay?”  
“Yeah.” Liam giggled. “Just Theo chasing me.” 

He had slowed down to talk to the human and Theo used it to tackle him to the ground. Liam laughed loudly and Theo joined him after a while when they rolled around on the ground and wrestled a bit.  
“Is this a wolf thing or are you just being silly?” Mason inquired.  
“I think that’s a wolf thing, the play-fighting, and the chasing.” Corey had stepped closer to the group and watched the Alpha couple on the ground. “It sure looks cute.”  
Liam laughed and allowed Theo to pin him down. He flashed his mate a happy smile and Theo leaned down and kissed his nose. “We are not cute,” the ex-chimera grumbled and Liam laughed loudly.   
“We are. Deal with it, baby,” he said and pulled Liam closer to kiss his lips. Their kiss however soon turned deeper and more passionate. Theo moaned softly and parted his lips to grant Liam’s tongue access. Their tongues tangled and Liam raised one hand to card his fingers through Theo’s hair and deepen the kiss even more.

“Intense.”

Liam cursed Mason inside his head. He loved his best friend but right now Mason was disturbing them. On the other hand, he noticed how close Theo and he were pressed together. He had not even noticed they were rutting against each other but it was a common occurrence since Theo had been turned. Their wolves needed the close contact and especially when they were making out they got carried away. 

Theo bit his lip teasingly and sucked on it before he released it and looked up. “Oh, you’re still there.”  
Liam grinned and Corey giggled while Mason gave Theo a flat look. “Always so charming.”  
“Can we help you?” Liam inquired while Theo got to his feet and held out his hand for Liam to pull him to his feet. Liam accepted and let Theo pull him up.  
“Yeah, we wanted to talk especially to you, Lee. Have a minute?”  
“Sure.”

Liam was curious to know what Mason and Corey wanted to talk about. He tilted his head and looked at the other couple.   
“I told Mason about me asking for you giving me the bite and we talked about the whole thing.”  
“That’s good.” Liam nodded. It would have felt bad to do it behind Mason’s back. “Did you make a decision?”  
“Yeah. We talked about the things speaking for Corey asking for the bite and the things speaking against it. There isn’t a complete chance the bite will take and this is way too risky.” Mason shared their result of the talk.   
“Yeah. There is a chance the bite might kill you. Unfortunately, but you have to take it into account.”  
“And you still would have given Corey the bite, even if it could have killed him?” Mason sounded between incredulous and compassionate.

Liam raised his shoulders. “If Corey had come to me and told me he talked with you and you both agreed on this and he still wanted the bite, yes. It would have been unfair for me to decline.” He took a breath. “Despite, I would have rather give Corey the bite than having him asking any other Alpha.”  
Corey gave Liam a sweet smile. “Thank you. I really appreciate that and that you took it seriously.”  
“Anytime.” To Liam that was only natural. His friend had asked for something important to him and so he did his best to help him. “So no bite for you?”  
“No.” Corey shook his head. “I will learn to fight a little bit better. Maya said she can show me some self-defense techniques and Nolan also said he would help me and show me some things. And like you said, a bite is no guarantee for surviving an attack. Theo and you both almost died and you are supernatural.”

It was the sad truth. Being supernatural gave you some higher resistance but it didn’t make you invincible. You still had to be careful but since most supernatural bad guys were freakishly strong, it was still a dangerous thing to do. So Liam had understood why Corey felt the need to protect Mason more but Liam was also glad he did not have to give Corey the bite and face the possibility his friend might die from it. 

“Theo is also good at sparring, he could teach you some things too,” Liam offered and gave Theo a proud smile. Theo smiled back and then nodded his head.  
“I can help you too,” he confirmed.   
“Thanks.” Corey gave the Alpha couple a real Corey sunshine smile. If Liam was a puppy Corey surely was a human ray of sunshine. 

A car stopped next to them and Lana wound down her window. “Hello!” She greeted cheerfully. “How are you?”  
“Good, Theo and I returned from a little hike uphill and we just talked with Mason and Corey,” Liam told her and smiled at the former Alpha’s mate. “What are you up to?”  
“Oh, just driving to the store, grocery shopping. Some other members asked me to bring them some things from the store as well. We do this around here most times. If one goes shopping, they bring things for the others as well so no everyone has to drive to the stores all the time.”  
“That’s nice,” Corey praised. Liam hummed.  
“Can I accompany you? I could help you carry some of the bags and since you’re shopping for the whole pack it’s only fair when the Alpha accompanies you, right?”  
Lana gave him a warm smile. “I surely would like for you to accompany me to the store, Liam. Hop in!”

Liam squeezed Theo’s arm and then got in the passenger seat of Lana’s car. He buckled up and then waved at his friends and his mate before Lana started driving again.   
“I guess we’re driving into town?” Liam asked.  
Lana laughed. “No, we’re driving to a bigger store. I can get everything there. It’s one longer drive but after years of living in the area you got used to it.”  
“Okay, makes sense. City boy here. Beacon Hills is smaller than Seattle but we still don’t have to drive that far to go to the stores.”

He looked out of the window. “Theo and I climbed up the hill and admired the view from up there. It is truly beautiful. I understand why you love living around here.”  
“I have been living here for almost my whole life and I love it. It’s my home and while I understand when people leave to have better chances elsewhere, I could never picture myself leaving entirely.”  
Liam smiled. “Maybe we move here too when we’re older. Depends on what life has in store for us.”  
“You could have some weekend home here,” Lana suggested. “A home you can use whenever you have a few days off. That would also be a possibility.”  
“True,” Liam agreed. “We have to finish college first and then see what life brings. I still haven’t decided if I want to change my major and if I do what I should change to.”

Lana shook her head with a soft smile. “You young people always think you need to have an answer immediately. Liam, you are nineteen, your whole life is still ahead of you. You don’t need to have everything up to your sleeve right this very minute. The thing with your major is something that bothers you, I understand this, but you can do so much with history and as long as you like what you’re doing it will be okay. Life has a way of twist and turns when you least expect it. Take the core pack for example. Did you expect to become an Alpha and to gather a pack around you?”  
Liam laughed and shook his head. “God no!”  
“See? Liam, because you are so young your life is ever changing and you only have a few constants in your life. Your mate is one of them. Whatever happens, you will have Theo and I can tell you from experience this is more than somebody else can say. It is the source of your strength and your motive force.”  
Liam smiled while he thought about the man he was crazy about and wanted to spend the rest of his life with. “We talked about marriage. Getting married,” he shared with Lana and she let out a little squealing sound. 

“You two are adorable. It is refreshing to see such a young and yet strong love like yours. So, getting married, that’s exciting. Settled on a date?”  
Liam shook his head. “I want to get married to Theo as fast as possible but we are still so young. I know we are already mated but I can’t wait to call him my husband and yet there’s the age thing. But to have something that shows we belong together for all eternity even to non-weres who have no idea about mating would be amazing. Theo said we could take the private jet of Mike’s parents and fly to Vegas to get married after we solved the Celia/Clarisse problem. I almost accepted but,”, he sighed. “There are so many things speaking against that and I made this deal with Mason when we were kids, I can’t break it that easily. I mean, I could but I don’t want to.”

“You say there are things speaking against getting married right now and I agree you are just nineteen years old, Theo is twenty-two. By normal standards, this may be a bit young but we are anything but normal and you are already mated. Being mated is so much more than a simple wedding, though I don’t want to downgrade the value of a wedding, yet for us werewolves being mated is more binding than a wedding. So I wouldn’t let the age thing interfere with your wish to get married as soon as possible. The most important people know about you being werewolves, they will understand why you want to get married now.  And who cares what everybody else might think? They don’t matter. However, I don’t know what kind of deal you and Mason made when you were kids but it sounds adorable. And yet, he is your best friend, Liam, if you tell him how important it would be to get married to Theo, In Vegas or somewhere else, I’m sure he will understand.”

Liam sighed and turned his head to look at her. “A part of me wants to spend the next years just in a normal relationship with Theo, enjoy being boyfriends, before we tie the knot. Give us both the possibility to develop as persons without the duty of being a husband. But another part of me longs for this. I know it’s silly and probably obsessive but the thought of sharing his last name and calling him my husband is something that makes me smile every time. I am literally torn and I want to do the right thing, don’t pressure anybody, but I also know we both are already bonded for life so there is probably no use in worrying so much about it.”

“Hm,” Lana hummed and switched lanes. “I hear you and those are very good reasons. A true sign of maturity that you take all this into account. I completely understand you.” She showed Liam her hand. “I’m wearing three rings as you can see. My wedding band, my engagement ring, and the third is a promise ring Byron gave me before we even got engaged. He handed it to me as an affidavit he would always love me and stand by my side, no matter what life may bring for us. He just had become an Alpha and we were just dating around that time and suddenly everyone expected me to be the perfect Alpha’s mate. I was freaking out because this was so far from what I saw in myself. But with Byron’s gesture, it helped me see that no matter what everybody else might think of and expect from you, what really counts is what the person you love thinks of you. He assured me I didn’t need to become the picture-perfect First Lady and could be myself and he would still love me. A promise in every sense of the word and it gave me time to grow to like us being a married couple. There is a difference between wanting to marry someone and actually getting used to the thought of marriage.”  
“It was somewhat like a trial for you. A trial before marriage.” Liam had understood that much. 

Lana nodded. “Liam, have you ever considered a shamanic wedding or maybe a Handfasting?”  
The young Alpha looked quizzical and shook his head. “A what?”  
“It’s a ceremony that could be held as a wedding but doesn’t necessarily has to be one. I know quite some couples who wanted to get married, belong together, but didn’t want to have a real wedding yet. It takes some of the stress away for those couples, you know? A real ceremony but if the one holding the ceremony is not legally approved as a legal wedding, it’s not binding in a legal sense.”  
“So you’re saying you can get married without actually getting married. Just have the emotional value of a wedding but don’t have to face the legal actions afterward.”   
“Exactly. I know various types of Handfastings. One is for a year, see it as some sort of engagement. Or you can be having a Handfasting for as long as the love lasts without any strict time frame. Very good for couples who are not sure they really want to spend the rest of their lives together. And, of course, for all eternity. I don’t have to explain that to you I think.”

“Huh,” Liam leaned back. He now had a lot to think about because what Lana had just suggested was something he didn’t even think about. “Is not something religious, is it? Theo’s an atheist.”  
“You can have a shamanic wedding to your liking. Many shamans are very helpful when it comes to planning everything and you don’t have to incorporate any religious things if you don’t want to.”  
This was a whole new world and Liam made a very big mental note to research about this once he was back home. He beamed at Lana. “Thank you so much!”  
She beamed back. “Anytime, young wolf. You deserve a happy end as much as Theo and the rest of us do.”

It was heartwarming that he had so many great people in the last six months and he counted them all as a family. Talking to Lana helped him as much as talking to Byron because they saw things from a different perspective and Liam could learn so much from them. And Lana was also a very funny woman and going grocery shopping with her made Liam laugh so much, he was sure everybody at the store stared at them and he had to lean on the shopping cart to hold himself up. 

When they were done and on their way back, Lana cracked even more jokes. It was an easy atmosphere and she made him promise to come back with the whole core pack in the summer. Liam said yes (as if he would ever say no).

“I promise I will bring them all back when its warmer and we can swim in the lake.” Liam grinned at the image. That would be a fun vacation and so very different than the last one he and Theo had here.  
Lana was satisfied with his answer. They were close to the lake again when a wailing screech pierced the air. Liam tensed immediately and Lana stopped next to the road. “What the hell was that? That wasn’t a wolf.”  
“No.” Liam’s face darkened. “That wasn’t a wolf but a demon.” It had been the same sound the demon that almost killed Theo made and it was enough to make Liam’s blood run cold. “It came from the lake!”  
Demons were there. Demons were where his pack was. His wolf growled inside his chest and his eyes flashed red. He opened the door and got out of the car fastly. “I don’t know how many are there but we need to get to the others as soon as possible.” Liam pulled his shirt over his head and threw it into the car. “You’ll go and help evacuate the kids and the ones who can’t fight, I will come from the other side as a surprise element,” Liam ordered and undressed further, left his clothes in her car. “Be careful!” Liam instructed her and slammed the door shut. Lana just nodded and drove off while Liam dropped to his knees.

 The shift came fast and easy and soon Liam was on all four paws and ran through the woods. He strained his ears to catch any sound coming from the cabins. Being fully shifted gave him the opportunity to be faster and yet don’t cause too much attention while he was running towards the lake. Demonic screeches sounded up sometimes and the closer Liam got the more fighting sounds he heard. And he heard more than one demon and that worried Liam greatly. He just hoped his pack was okay. And his old pack was okay too. 

Liam broke through the undergrowth and found himself behind one of the cabins. He sniffed and strained his ears and then slowed down while he approached the fighting scene, still partly hidden by the cabins. It was all in the element of surprise. 

But when the fighting scene finally came in sight, Liam growled lowly. He could see several demons, they were moving too fast to really count them. Pesky ashy looking creatures with longs claws, and stumps for tails. Their amphibious-looking faces looked wrinkled in a normal state but when they opened their mouths they revealed two long rows of sharp teeth that could do some serious damage. They could jump very high and very fast and always screeched in a deafening tone. He wanted to interfere but first, he had to make sure everyone was still alive and breathing.

Liam saw Scott fighting them off, saw Ever setting a few of them on fire and burn them to ashes, saw Sadie and Maya beating the living crap out of those things, Nolan shooting arrows while Mike and Tim made sure he was free and could actually shoot. One demon was on the floor and got beaten up by an invisible force, undoubtedly Mason and Corey who had turned invisible and gave the thing a beating. Lydia kicked and screamed but the things just screeched back. Derek wrestled those things in the middle of the battlefield, just like Alec, Malia, and Theo, and Stiles was nowhere to be seen. He was either planning a surprise attack or was with Mason and Corey and therefore invisible. They would need Braden right now but Liam had seen her leave earlier, obviously following a trace to the hunters or whatever it was Braden did. 

Malia was running towards Scott who had three of those beasts on him but before she could even reach her boyfriend a demon jumped on her back and they toppled to the ground. The demon’s claws dug into her back and she roared in pain, eyes glowed blue and her fangs poked out. She wriggled and tried to get the demon off but the thing didn’t butch. Until suddenly Theo ripped it off her and slashed it’s throat, making it burst into black smoke. Malia turned around and blinked at him. “Thanks,” she rasped out and Theo nodded curtly.

“Against popular opinion, I don’t want to see you dead,” he grumbled and she nodded. Next thing Liam saw was his mate being tackled to the ground by a bigger demon. It looked like a crippled crocodile, had four stump legs, a blackish-blue body, sharp claws glistening in the winter sun, and from its long tongue dripped something Liam would consider poisonous, crusted scales stuck up from its back, the tail was long and had sharp edges and scales. Despite its stout build, it was fast and the impact with Theo had brought the werewolf to the ground and he groaned in pain. Liam bared his teeth and slowly moved closer.

“I was really peeved that you didn’t die on the first try. That would have been one less annoying werewolf to take care of and it would have totally destroyed Liam. Would have killed two birds with one stone but of course, you couldn’t die just like that. No, Liam had to save you.” Clarisse emerged from the shadows and slowly walked closer to Theo. The demon weaseled back to her and hovered by her side and another one of the things that attacked them in the store appeared on the roof of the nearest cabin. Another crocodile demon appeared next to Clarisse’s other side and hissed at Theo. The Beta glared at her and slowly got into a sitting position. One demon reached out and ripped his claws over Theo’s ankle, ripped the jeans apart and left bloody marks back. Theo hissed in pain and pulled his leg closer to press his palm on his wound. 

“But oh well, a second time’s the charm, I guess. And you know what?” Clarisse smirked and stepped closer to Theo and then suddenly her facial features shifted, her whole appearance twisted, and Clarisse turned into Celia. “This time I will make sure you die a very slow and very painful death and my demons will hold Liam down so he is forced to see and hear you scream when my demons rip you apart inch by inch.” Her glance was cold and completely lunatic. “The only thing I will leave intact is your upper body so Tara can rip your heart out again.”  
Theo growled. “Bitch!”  
“Oh, don’t try to act tough, I know about your nightmares. It’s pathetic, really. But I can’t wait to watch the light in your eyes die!”

The demon on her right side screeched and jumped to land between Celia and Theo. His long tongue lolled out and Theo barely avoided getting hit. He flashed his eyes and roared in warning, fangs out and ready to strike. The demon didn’t seem impressed but before it could even make its next move a howl sounded out and Liam dashed forward. He jumped the demon and pushed them to the ground; claws and teeth aiming directly at the creature’s throat. The demon buckled but when Liam’s claws pierced its throat and slashed it, it dissolved into black smoke. The wolf spun around and stood between his mate and Celia, teeth bared and ready to jump her. A menacing growl escaped his throat. _Stay away from my mate._

“Aww, you think I’m scared of you?” Celia was not impressed at all. “Seriously, I couldn’t care less about any ghost wolves you have, any tricks up your sleeves. I am better, I am more powerful, and I have demons!”  
The rest of the pack, led by Byron and Lana appeared. “Yes, but we are still more than you. We killed al the demons you sent our way and we will kill these too. You are outnumbered!” Byron’s voice was firm and raised but he wasn’t exactly yelling. He was simply telling her she had not won this round.  
But Celia smirked and then looked at Liam in his wolf form. She raised one finger and pointed at Liam. The demon on the cabin screeched and then jumped. Liam roared and jumped too.

Demon and wolf collided midair and locked jaws. They fell to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs, their claws scratched each other, and they rolled around while Liam tried to keep this thing from his neck. The creature cried and raked its claws over Liam’s front paw. Liam howled in pain and raked his claws over the demon’s back in return. The demon pulled away and pushed Liam away to get a better point to jump and attack again. It would have worked but a loud Banshee scream threw the demon aside. Liam turned his head. Lydia stood there, arms raised and her breath was going heavy. Celia hissed and looked around. She seemed to realize she was outnumbered and her eyes narrowed. Liam growled at her and slowly shifted back in his human form to give her a cold look. He had cuts on his shoulder and his arm but he was fine overall.  
“Every single member of this pack will die a torturous death,” Celia hissed and waved her hands. A blinding light appeared and they all covered their eyes.

 When the light disappeared again, Celia and her demons were gone. Liam looked around, took in the appearance of everyone. Corey, Mason, and Stiles appeared again and Stiles steadied Lydia, Malia kneeled next to Scott who held his stomach where some large cuts were visible.   
“Full shift, huh?” The True Alpha rasped out. Liam nodded. “Any more surprises down the line?” Liam shook his head at Scott’s questions and the Alpha’s locked eyes for a moment. Scott’s lips curved into an almost unnoticeable smile. “Okay.”  
“Okay,” Liam said.

“Liam!” Mike had cried out his name and when Liam spun around, Mike was on the ground with Tim. Tim was on his stomach and in a bad shape.

Liam let out a curse and ran over to drop to his knees next to his Betas. Theo and the others followed him. Mike slowly turned him on his back and gasped at the demon claw sticking out from his best friend’s side. He grabbed it and slowly pulled it out from Tim’s flesh. The other Beta whimpered in pain but then laid there motionless.  
“He’s not healing! Why isn’t he healing?” Mike was close to being hysterical and Theo gave his shoulder a compassionate squeeze.   
Liam let his eyes wander over Tim’s injuries. Blood was seeping out from the wound where the claw had stuck, he had cuts and scratches. But Mike was right, his healing wasn’t triggered yet and while Liam was no expert at all, he would guess it was because the claw in his flesh had delayed it.

“Keep him still! As still as you can!”  
Mike held Tim’s shoulders and Maya moved so Tim had his head in her lap and she could put her hands on his cheeks. “Why?” Mike asked.  
“We have to trigger his healing,” Liam announced. He took a deep breath. “And this will hurt like a bitch!”  
Nolan knelt next to Liam and held Tim’s legs as good as he could. Liam grabbed Tim’s arm and twisted it strongly. The sound of bone cracking could be heard and Tim screamed in pain, even surged up and struggle against his friends restraining him but then he fell back and a pained whimper escaped his lips. But now his healing would kick in at last.

Mike grabbed his best friend’s arm with both hands and inhaled. “What are you doing?” Sadie asked in a small voice. She had glassy eyes, suffered vicariously with her packmate and friend.   
“I’m trying to take his pain!” Mike hissed. But it wasn’t working. The black veins would not show up. “Why can’t I take his pain? You said one needs to care to take the pain. I care about Tim, why can’t I take his pain?” He asked his pack with tears in his eyes and still had Tim’s arm in a tight grip.  
Sadie shook her head. “Don’t ask me. I never managed to take someone’s pain.”  
“I never learned either,” Maya muttered and stroked through Tim’s hair. “My parents wanted to show me but then they died and I lost interest. I had enough pain on my own.”  
Theo put both hands on Mike’s shoulders. “Taking pain isn’t easy, even if you care. It is difficult and it can be devasting when you really want to but don’t succeed.”  
“Oh.” Mason made a small sound and realization dawned on his face as he looked at Theo. Liam would have loved to ask what had gotten in his friend but he was more focused on the task at hand. Tim looked already a bit better, his healing was slowly picking up again. He would be fine again. Liam looked around.

“Are you all okay?”

“Yeah. Bloody and bruised but okay.” Corey had been the one to reply for all of them and the others just nodded. Liam let out a breathless laugh and fell back against Theo, leaned his head against his mate’s. At least they were all alive. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still can't believe that we have 36 chapters already. It feels like a dream and I squeal every time I see the chapter number. I said it once and I'm gonna say it again: You guys are awesome. Thank you for the encouragement and the support.  
> For the chapter, I am curious what you have to say about Lana's suggestion. Do you like how events are turning out at the moment? Your thoughts on Clarisse?


	37. Do what you have to do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The packs work together to track Celia down and Scott uses the opportunity to ask Liam's opinion on some things. And as always nothing goes as expected.

Liam zipped his bag shut and turned around to face the McCall pack as well as Theo, Shana, and Byron. The rest of his pack was walking around and loaded the truck and Liam’s car with their bags. It was time to return to Seattle and face the Celia problem there. After Clarisse had been revealed to be Celia and left with her demonic entourage in tow, Liam saw no use in staying at the lake any longer. He loved his pack there, of course, but he had a suspicion Celia would cause havoc in Seattle and he didn’t want to be responsible for any more deaths just because he stayed at the lake.  
“You don’t have to come with us, I understand if you want to stay away. This is our witch problem, not yours,“ he told Scott and the others.  
Stiles snorted. “Hello? She dragged us into this by asking for Scott’s help. We are already part of this.“  
“I’m just saying you have a life outside the supernatural too!“ Liam remarked.  
“Stiles is right but so is Liam. We are involved but not all of us have to go. Stiles, you have the FBI to worry about. Derek will return to Beacon Hills to check if there are any problems, Alec will drive the jeep back once it’s fixed. Malia, Lydia and I, we will accompany you to Seattle and help you. That’s what friends are for and our packs are affiliated.“ Scott smiled at Liam and Liam returned the smile.  
“And don’t forget, Liam, this witch is strong. You might need every help you can get to stop her,“ Shana put in her own two cents on the matter at hand. Liam knew she was right. Celia was a force to be reckoned with and they needed to be prepared for the worse. She had already proven she was ready to kill and the young Alpha was sure she would not stop on her own.

He shrugged on his jacket “Okay. Let’s go.“  
“Stop!“ Lydia called out. Everybody stared at her and she cleared her throat and gave Scott and Stiles a prompting look. When both just stared at her, she cleared her throat again and nodded her head towards Liam and Theo while raising one eyebrow. Stiles sighed.  
“We…wanted to apologize for the way we reacted to the news of Theo being a real werewolf. Right, Scotty?“  
"Hm? Oh yes, yes, we wanted to apologize. It’s not that we have anything against that, we were just surprised. We know you’re not evil anymore.“  
They both gave Theo an honest look and even though Theo seemed surprised by the actual apology, he finally moved his head and smiled faintly.  
“Thank you.“

Liam grinned. Of course, Lydia would make them apologize. He now hugged her. “Thank you, Lyds.“  
“Told you I would make them do it.“ She chuckled and hugged him back. And thus prompted everyone to bid goodbye.  
Shana smiled motherly and hugged Liam “Be careful. All of you. And if you need help, call.“  
“Will do,“ Liam promised her and hugged her back. Then she moved on to Theo and hugged him too while Liam said goodbye to the McCall pack members who would not come with them. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to his old friends after such a short time. He hoped they would meet again soon, under better circumstances.  
Byron gave him a tight hug too. “I am proud how far you have already come as an Alpha. Keep it up, my son.“  
“Thanks, gramps.“ Liam smiled and hugged Byron back just as tightly.

When they all said goodbye, the walked out of the cabin and joined the core pack fussing around the cars. Mike and Sadie had yet another of their many discussions.  
“I swear to god, Sadie, you will be the cause of my first grey hair!“  
“I swear to god, Michael, you are such a drama queen!“  
“Don’t call me that!“ Mike hissed with a pained expression on his face. Tim snickered and his best friend glared at him.  
“What? Michael is not that bad! Could be worse. You could be called Erwin!“  
“Didn’t you once say you were almost called Theodore Erwin?“ Liam seemed to remember something and Theo gave him a look.  
“Not funny!“  
Liam just grinned innocently and threw his bag in the truck bed. “I’d say we drive as soon as possible. Everybody in the car!“  
“The Alpha has spoken. Ever, would you like to drive Liam’s car?“ Nolan grinned at his friend and Ever rolled her eyes.  
“You’re not letting this one go, huh?“  
“Nope!“ Nolan seemed pretty satisfied with his reply and grinned. He jingled the keys and got into Liam’s car while the rest of the core pack dispersed to get into both cars. Liam slipped into the passenger seat of the truck. Theo got into the driver’s seat and then it was time to go.

******  
“So, you have a house and you all live there?“ Scott was asking all kinds of questions about the pack life in Seattle. Now that he and Liam had talked it out, he was very interested in what Liam and his pack were up to. It was fun to see him so thrilled to know everything.  
“Yep. One big house with room for everybody, thanks to Mike.“ Theo checked the mirrors and changed lanes while he casually replied. They were shortly before Seattle and soon would be home. Liam loved the lake but he also liked their house and coming home felt nice.

“It was the better way to gather everyone. We hang out and Theo’s and my apartment was too small for everyone. Mike’s idea of the house was unexpected but now I can agree it was the best decision ever,“ Liam added and smiled. They had moved into the house shortly before Theo and he became a couple and he remembered how hesitant Theo had been when it came to him sharing the biggest room with Liam. As if Liam didn’t want him there. Now the young Alpha reached over and put his hand on Theo’s leg. Theo let one hand go of the steering wheel and put it over Liam‘s. “The house was the start of something new,“ he said.  
“Oh yeah. We moved into the house, learned control during the full moon, you two became a couple, so many milestones in a row,“ Maya piped in from the backseat. She was sandwiched between the car door and Scott. That was the good thing about Theo’s truck. Four people could fit in the backseat. It was a bit cramped but better than a smaller car. She was typing on her phone and Liam looked back with a curious look.  
“Who are you texting the whole time?“  
“Sadie.“

The reply was so easy and fast, Liam kind of felt silly for even asking. Theo glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Texting or sexting?“  
She looked up from her phone and glared at him. “Not everyone is as shameless as you and your mate, Second Alpha!“  
Theo smirked at that and Malia turned her head from where she had looked out of the window. “Second Alpha?“  
“We call Theo that because he always steps in when Liam isn’t there or can’t be the Alpha at this very moment. He surely is the second Alpha, red eyes or not.“  
“Uh-uh.“ Malia just hummed. Since the fight, she and Theo seemed to have come to a truce or whatever and actually tried to act like civilized people around each other.

“You saw me flashing my eyes, they’re not red,“ Theo said. And very quietly he added: “Thankfully they’re not blue either.“  
Liam had been the only one to hear that or so it seemed and he looked over at his boyfriend and raised their linked hands up to press a kiss on the back of Theo’s hand in silent support. He knew Theo was afraid his eyes would reveal what he once had done and his past would catch up with him. Theo turned his head and smiled weakly at him but it soon vanquished again and he just squeezed Liam’s hand back.  
“They’re getting lovey-dovey again!“ Maya fake-complained from the back and Liam grinned at her. He didn’t let go of Theo’s hand for now and just held it. They could make fun all the way they wanted, he loved this man with all his heart and would never let him go.

******  
The cars parked in the driveway and everyone left the vehicles. Liam stretched and looked up at the house with a smile. “Home sweet home,“ Mike said behind him and Liam had to agree. Lydia looked up the house with unhidden wonder.  
“A very elegant home.“  
“Wait until you have seen the interior. It’s cozy.“

They all grabbed their bags and it was Tim who unlocked the door and let them all in. Scott, Malia, and Lydia didn’t hide their curiosity when they stepped in and looked around.  
“It smells like all of you combined. Like a real pack house,“ Malia noticed and sniffed.  
Lydia didn’t hide back with compliments. “Such a pretty home. I like the pictures.“ The walls in the entryway were littered with many pictures of the pack. Who started it, Liam couldn’t remember anymore, but over time more and more pictures appeared on the walls, just like on the walls in the hallway on the first floor. One of Liam’s favorite pictures of him and Theo hung there: After a lacrosse game, Liam still in full jersey minus the helmet, had his arms wrapped around Theo and kissed him lovingly while Theo had his arms wrapped around Liam’s waist. He loved it because it was a picture taken at the moment without any poses and showed their real love.

“You can choose which guestroom you want.“ Liam motioned for them to follow him and led them up the stairs and to the empty guest rooms. It didn’t take long for them to decide who would sleep where and it was Corey who gave them an overlook over which room belonged to whom. While they talked the doorbell rang and after some of the members who stayed downstairs opened the door, you heard barking.

“The puppies are back!“ Liam exclaimed with a soft smile.  
“You have puppies? Real puppies?“ Scott was excited and Malia looked at her boyfriend. “Here we go,“ she muttered and made her way downstairs with the others where Brie had just brought the dogs back from her loving care while the pack had been away.  
Aka and Koda were jumping around and greeted everyone happily and with wagging tails but they got especially excited when they greeted Theo and Liam.  
“They are so playing favorites with our Alpha couple. I feel betrayed!“ Corey complained but laughed at the end.  
“Are you really surprised by that? They clearly love Theo and Liam the most because they saved them.“  
“They are our children.“ Liam giggled when Koda licked his fingers and then slowly inched closer to sniff out Lydia, Malia, and Scott. Scott was happily crouching down and let Koda and later then Aka as well sniff him and then pet them. “Such cute puppies!“  
Liam picked Koda up and kissed his head. The pups had gotten bigger over the last few months and it slowly became clear they weren’t small dogs by any means. Liam could not wait until they were fully grown. Koda licked his chin and Liam laughed while he cuddled his dog. Theo knelt on the ground and petted Aka who rolled on his back and presented his tummy for tummy rubs before he rolled back and moved closer to snuggle against Theo. Liam watched his mate smile and gently cuddle the grey dog. Aka put his front paws on Theo’s leg and nosed at Theo’s cheek before he pushed his head under Theo’s chin. It was insanely cute and Liam pulled out his phone to snap a quick picture. Theo looked up when the flash appeared and smiled at Liam, green eyes sparkling with happiness. His wolf was content with being around his pack and it made him happy. What else could Liam want for his mate?

“Now that we’re back home, what’s the plan?“ Sadie inquired.  
Liam looked at Scott and the older made a gesture towards Liam, indicating he would be going with whatever Liam thought of.  
“We look out for Celia but don’t actively search for her. She’s too powerful to take that risk.“  
“Letting her come to us then? Okay, fine, maybe that works.“ Scott nodded.  
You couldn’t be sure but Liam knew running headfirst into the danger would surely kill all of them. Celia was clever and Liam was under no illusion she was waiting for them. He would not lose any member of his pack because he led them right into the witch’s trap!

“And if she comes, what’s the plan then? Do we fight her?” Malia asked and looked around.   
“We have to be insanely careful. What you saw at the lake was just a foretaste of what she and her demons really can do. She killed people without so much of a second thought,” Theo piped in.   
“So the best would be to have more information about her. To be prepared. How did you encounter her?” Lydia inquired, her logical mind obviously reeling already.  
Mason replied this time. “The usual. People, witches, were getting killed and one night Ever got a call from her friend. When we arrived the friend was dead and we had a fight with the first demon. That thing on the roof of the cabin? Such a thing almost killed Theo.”  
Scott, Lydia, and Malia looked at Theo who shrugged. “Being tossed through a wall is not the nicest feeling.”  
Corey grinned cheekily. “What **is** the nicest feeling?”  
Theo looked at him and his eyes sparkled in amusement. Corey narrowed his eyes at his best friend. “It involves Liam, right?”  
Theo just grinned and Liam teasingly raised an eyebrow and winked at Corey.

“Guys, I’m probably one of the biggest Thiam shippers but back to the topic at hand: Celia,” Sadie cut in and reminded them they had some things to worry about.   
“Oh, right.” Corey took over from his boyfriend. “When we finally met Celia she told us she wanted revenge for other witches doubting her while she was growing up. Ever actually knew her as a child.”  
“She was my neighbor but she wasn’t murderous back then. She obviously feels the need to make up for something now. She needs power for that and so she steals the powers from the witches her demons killed. To become the strongest witch in town.” Ever scoffed and ran a hand through her wavy hair.  
Maya made a doubtful sound in the back of her throat. “I’m not so sure this is her only motivation.”  
“What do you mean?” Sadie asked the headstrong Beta and Maya shrugged her shoulders and loosely crossed her arms in front of her.  
“I have a gut feeling we’re missing a big part of the whole thing. She knows about us, she wants us dead and I’m not sure this is because we were at the wrong place at the wrong time. She obviously watched us, I just don’t know why. Because she fears us? Thinks we can stop her? I just have this feeling there is more.”  
“So we have one more thing to find out,” Liam concluded. He had learned to trust Maya’s gut feeling over time. 

Mike had slumped away into the kitchen and now padded back. “Total different topic: The fridge is almost empty. We need to eat.”  
Right, there were mundane things too to worry about. Liam had completely forgotten it. “I can go and buy some groceries.”  
Theo tsked and ran his fingers through Liam’s hair. “What about the rule of never going alone, puppy? You said they also apply to you.” His voice was soft but Liam heard the underlying worry in it and tilted his head to smile at Theo.   
“I’ll go with him,” Scott offered and nobody could really decline this. Celia wouldn’t be as stupid to attack two Alphas.  
So Liam nodded and walked back to the entryway to shrug a jacket on. Not his jacket but Theo’s. They both liked sharing clothes, liked to be surrounded by their anchor’s scent, and loved seeing each other wearing their clothes. Liam saw Theo smile now from the corner of his eyes and faintly inhaled the scent of his mate and anchor. One of the most calming things in the world. Scott waved goodbye and then followed Liam out of the house and inside the car. 

The drive was comfortable. Scott had never been to Seattle before and curiously looked out of the window. Liam grinned. “You know, if you roll down the window and put your head out you see more. And don’t forget your tongue lolling out,” he teased.  
Scott turned his head to him. “Stiles is right, you became really cocky.”  
Liam just continued to grin and shrugged. He stopped at a red light and still felt Scott’s eyes on him so he let out a short laugh. “What?”  
Scott shook his head. “It’s just...You seem so much more at ease than I have ever seen you. It’s a good look for you.”  
Liam smiled. Scott was right after all. “I learned to work with my wolf, use the nature around me as something to connect with my wolf. It’s the philosophy of my pack and Byron taught me that. It helped me and I learned to see my wolf as a partner and not as something that I need to suppress. It also helps with my anger issues. And also Theo is a great anchor.“ He smiled softly at the mention of his mate’s name.  
Scott watched him silently and then a broad grin spread across his face. “I’m happy that you are content and happy. You grew up so much, it makes me proud to see you like that, with your pack, your mate.“  
“Thank you, Scott.“

Liam pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and parked his car. He unbuckled and was about to leave his car when Scott spoke again. “How does it feel? To be mated, I mean.“  
The younger man raised his hand from the door handle and leaned back in his seat while he searched for the right words. “It is overwhelming. And terrifying, all at once. The other person becomes your everything, the crucial point of your being. Let philosophers and scientists search for the answer to anything, for you it is your mate. Because every step you took, every turn, every decision you made led you to them. When you mate, something inside you snaps into place and you’re thinking: _Huh, there you are. That’s what I’ve been missing all along_. You lose a part of yourself – that’s the terrifying part – but you get such a big part of them in return and the experience is overwhelming. Everybody experiences it differently so I can’t really tell you how it feels for anybody else but for me, I knew at this very moment I made the right decision and I would never regret it. You tie yourself to your mate in a way nothing can break it and everything intensifies. Every feeling you have, the other feels it too, every pain. It is something you learn to cope with, something that takes a bit time and work, but it is worth it. Every touch, every happy moment, everything is so much better.“  
Liam stopped and caught his breath and Scott looked at him in wonder.  “Never heard you talk like this. Not even about Hayden.“  
“Theo is not Hayden. She was my first love if you don’t count any crushes and therefore she will always be special but Theo is so much more. He’s my Allison and my Kira and my Malia, all in one wonderful package.“  
Scott looked amused. “Does he know you‘re talking about him like that?“  
Liam blushed. “I tell him often how wonderful he is. He deserves to hear it. You’re not seeing him every day but he really changed, Scott, and he deserves every good in this world.“  
“So he deserves my former Beta and as long as he knows to appreciate that, I am fine. I know he changed.“ He squeezed Liam’s leg and then left the car and Liam hurried after him.

“Do you want to ask Malia to become your mate?“  
“I didn‘t think about it until I learned about you and Theo and saw how you guys acted around each other.“  
“Granted, it intensified after Theo was bitten but I wouldn’t want to miss any of that.“

Liam took a shopping cart and pushed it into the store. “We could buy the ingredients for tacos and everybody could make their own taco at home,“ he suggested. Scott beamed like the puppy he was and nodded eagerly. “Awesome idea! I can‘t recall when was the last time I ate tacos.“  
“See?“ Liam chuckled and pushed his cart through the aisles to get everything needed. Scott was a truly great shopping help and it didn’t take long for them to fill the cart. Scott seemed happy to do something so mundane for once and Liam realized the weight on Scott's shoulders. He was almost constantly fighting for werewolves in need of help and had a pack to protect while also living up to being a True Alpha. It was hard, Liam could understand some of the burdens, and he smiled sympathetically and let Scott be the happy puppy and push the cart for a while with Liam following. He put his hands in the pockets of Theo’s jacket and frowned at the sound of paper crumpling. His fingers tugged at something in the left pocket and Liam carefully pulled it out. A red envelope.  
“Uh, an anonymous love letter?“ Scott teased when he looked over his shoulder to see where Liam was.  
Liam smiled. “Nope. It was part of my Christmas present for T.“ He looked at the envelope and the letter peeking out from it. Both were worn already like Theo had pulled the letter out to read it quite often and carried it in his pocket just as long. Curiosity rose in Liam. It wasn’t that he was snooping around, he had written that letter for heaven‘s sake, but he was curious which one Theo was carrying around. And so he pulled the letter out and carefully unfolded it.

_Theo,_

_you once compared me to a storm. Wild and full of untamed power. Impressive and able to blow obstacles out of the way, simply because I want to.  
_ _If I‘m the storm, you are the thunder. Mostly in the background but it gets closer and closer and when it happens closeby it is loud and everybody notices. You are insanely good at staying in the back, surveying things and taking notice of most things us others don‘t realize. But when you jump into action it’s always with a boom. I‘m not a very poetical person but what I’m trying to say is: You may be good at staying back but when you take action you’re a force to be reckoned with and I admire that. Sometimes I wish I could be as composed as you…_

_Storm and thunder had always belonged together for me, so hey, perfect match! Even in a metaphorical meaning, we’re meant to be together, that’s an accomplishment. I’m sure not every couple can say that._

_I’m rambling and I know you will read this and shake your head with a laugh and probably call me puppy again and when I’m around and hear that, I will say not to call me that but you won‘t listen and I really don’t mind because I like the banter and…_

_Getting off topic again. Sorry._

_The point is, I love the thunder. I think the rumbling is calming and since I was a little kid thunder and storm always were one in my mind. You are my thunder, I am your storm, and together we’re quite a force of nature. That’s what makes us the people we are, that’s what I love about us. Your force corresponds to mine, my force corresponds to yours. I never saw you running from my force and I will never run from yours._

_I love you, Theo Raeken. More than I’m probably ever able to express._

_Liam_

He smiled and put the letter back in the envelope before sliding it back in the pocket. That Theo carried his letter around and seemingly read it quite often made Liam giddy with joy and his heart was beating fastly. Scott seemed to hear it and shot Liam a curious look but Liam just smiled happily. His good mood wouldn’t waver for the rest of the day and he kept on smiling during the trip and when they drove home again. 

Theo was coincidentally the first one they met when they carried the bags into the kitchen. Liam shooed Scott away when he wanted to help unpack, claiming Scott was still a guest and should feel like that, the True Alpha left the kitchen in search for the others and Theo helped Liam unpack.  
“I found my letter in your jacket. I didn’t search for it, I happen to come across it.“  
Theo smiled and put the lettuce in the fridge. “I like to have it with me as a reminder that I may deserve good things. You're the best that ever happened to me but you know I sometimes have trouble accepting good things happening to me. Your letter – all letters - help.“

Liam abandoned his groceries and stepped to Theo. He wrapped both arms around his mate’s neck and pulled Theo close so he could press a kiss on Theo’s cheek. “I love you so much.“  
“I love you too,“ Theo replied while his arm sneaked around Liam’s waist. He turned so he could pull Liam flush against him and then gave him a real kiss. Liam smiled and when they broke apart he hugged Theo and Theo wrapped his arms around Liam and tugged the younger one’s head under his chin.

******  
Having Scott and the others there was nice, now that Liam and Scott talked it all out and there were no more secrets between the former Alpha and Beta. One night, when they were all sitting together, he told Scott about him coming clean to his parents and they traded stories. It was nice and laughed a lot. Liam felt at ease with Scott and having him back as his friend and somebody he sometimes could ask for advice, somebody to share stories with, soothed his soul. And they could trade stories about how their mothers experienced the supernatural world.

They even followed some traces apparently leading to Celia but none of that was a real success. They were either wrong traces or it was too faint to make her out and led to nothing as well. The witch herself didn’t show her face in town and according to Sadie and Malia, this was for the best if she didn’t want to get ripped in half. Lucky for her, Celia stayed away and didn’t cause any havoc for now.

And then Scott got a call from Alec one day and when he came back into the kitchen and Liam saw his face, he knew what was going on. “Bad news?“  
“Alec said hunters came to Beacon Hills. He is not sure if they belong to Monroe or not but they are heavily armed,“ Scott told them all. “Liam…“  
Liam nodded. “Go. You take care of your pack, I take care of mine.“ He smiled at the end to show Scott it was okay. Scott smiled back, relieved Liam understood his situation.  
That’s why Scott, Malia, and Lydia left as fast as possible and took the next train to Beacon Hills to fight with their pack. The core pack wished them best luck and promises were made to visit each other again under much better circumstances. The core pack waited until the train left the station then they made their way back to the cars and drove home. It was easy, and they all basked into this calm, even if it was the infamous calm before the storm. But for now, they could refill their batteries and prepare themselves for the battle, even though Liam wasn’t really sure if they really could prepare themselves for a battle ever.

At home, the pack dispersed and everybody did what they wanted to do. Theo had disappeared into the library as soon as he came home which made Liam wonder what was up with him but on the other hand, he saw no use in asking. Maybe Theo just enjoyed the current book he was reading so much and wanted to continue. Liam decided to pay his boyfriend no mind and rather enjoyed his own hobbies like video games with Mason. The couple only came together later that night and Liam was getting the newest updates from Scott during texts.  
“The hunters are rough but Scott says they can handle them. They will be fine,“ he announced and typed a reply at the same time. “He’s not sure if they are Monroe’s people but I know Scott, he will find out.“  
“Yeah.,“ Theo mumbled noncommittedly and looked at Liam. “Did you ever have a crush on Scott?“

Liam stilled in his every movement and only raised his head very slowly. “What?“ He asked with an incredulous laugh because this was so far off and so strange, it was almost funny again.  
Theo looked annoyed. “Did you ever have a crush on Scott? Or are you still having one?“  
“Are you serious?“ Liam asked with a laugh. “Scott’s like my older brother.“  
“Doesn’t answer the question,“ Theo stated and gritted his jaw. Liam could see how tense his mate was. The sour smell of jealousy hit his nose and it dawned Liam that Theo was truly serious about that. Had Liam found this so absurd he laughed about it, the realization now bugged him to no end. He frowned. “What’s this about? I’m not crushing on Scott and never have been.“  
“The way you looked at him could have fooled me. You look at him like he hung the fucking moon in the sky.“  
“I admire him! He taught me the werewolf 101 and tried his best to protect me! Just like an older brother, nothing more! This is ridiculous, Theo!“  
“Is it? Excuse me for getting suspicious when my mate looks at another man with heart eyes!“ Theo hissed.  
“There are no heart eyes! The only heart eyes I have are for my mate who currently acts absolutely irrational!“

Theo glared at him, brows furrowed in an angry frown. His posture was getting tenser by the minute and Liam hated it because he had no idea where this came from. What had he done to make Theo that jealous?  
“Oh? So you are allowed to be irrational jealous of Malia but I’m not allowed to be irrational jealous of Scott? That‘s hypocritical!“  
“That is not the same!“  
Theo stood on one side of the bed, Liam on the other and they both were raising their voices.  
“You know why I am jealous of Malia but I literally have no idea why you’re jealous of Scott. It wasn’t me who wanted to be part of his pack so badly. You were literally obsessed with him. Maybe you are the one with a crush on Scott and you are projecting. Go on, tell me, Theo, share your feeling!“ Liam snapped. Theo narrowed his eyes.  
“The whole time he was here, you beamed at him and sat with him, you talked and laughed and you touched each other! What else am I supposed to think? You looked so lovestruck, it was sickening.“  
“I was talking to my friend! Nothing else!“ Liam yelled.

“I know how you look when you are enamored by somebody!” Theo yelled back. “You can’t tell me this is simply because you were such a little baby wolf back then that needed his big strong Alpha and that’s why you admire him like that! Come on, Liam, you are a young adult now, not the president of the Scott McCall fan club!”  
“I can’t talk to you when you’re like that!” Liam glared at Theo and threw his hands up in frustration. “It’s impossible! I’m going downstairs now. Call me when you feel like you can talk like a normal person again and not act like a spoiled kindergarten brat!”  
He had yelled the last bit of the sentence while he ripped the door open and stormed out. The pictures on the wall rattled when Liam slammed the door shut again and made his way downstairs into the entryway. 

There he paced in front of the door, both hands always running through his hair, and he cursed Theo under his breath. Damn the older and his ability to rile Liam up like that!  
“Liam?” Tim slowly came down the stairs, a worried look on his face. “Are you okay?”  
Liam looked at his Beta and went for a comforting smile. “Yeah. Just some argument, you know us. We will be fine.”  
Tim didn’t look convinced and Liam was about to go on and tell him everything was fine but a sound coming from outside the house made him stop. It was a low growl and stomping, closer and closer to the house. Liam slightly tilted his head and listened. He heard the growl again, the rustling of bones clicking against each other. Sounds he had not heard in a long time but hearing them now made his blood run as cold as it did back then. Fear crept up his spine and his biggest instinct was to run.

“Liam?” Tim asked and came down a few more steps. Liam raised his arm.   
“Stay behind me!” He ordered while he turned to face the door. His heart was hurting from the way it pounded against his ribs in nothing but fear. Adrenaline pumped through his body, and the hairs on the back of his neck raised. This had to be a mistake, his mind was playing tricks on him. They were not here. They couldn’t be here!  
The door flew open and revealed the terrifying view of a Berserker. With the speed owned by these creatures, he had grabbed Liam faster than Liam could even comprehend and dragged him outside.   
“LIAM!” Tim screamed in panic. 

And then darkness.

******

Liam woke up on the cold dusty ground and when his sight became less blurry he noticed he was in some sort of an old factory. There was a big square something hidden under some dirty and dusty white sheets, a few boxes stood around him with some other broken parts leaning against them and in front of him was a big circle with several runes and symbols drawn on the floor in a dark blue paint. A smaller box stood behind the circle with an open book on it. 

Liam moved so he could sit on his heels and have a better overlook. He hissed, however, when his fingers collided with the ash on the ground and it was then that Liam realized he was in a ring surrounded by mountain ash. He rubbed his fingertips against his jeans to clean them from the ash and then listened for any other sound. The growl of the Berserker and the stomping steps, his own fast beating heart and rapid breathing, but there was more. Liam heard the scratching sounds from Celia's demons and clacking of heels on the concrete ground as well as two more heartbeats, just as fast as Liam’s and thus clearly scared. 

“Celia? Are you there? I know you can hear me! What do you want?” Liam called out while he slowly got to his feet, careful to stay away from the ash on the ground. She didn’t appear but the Berserker was suddenly circling Liam and the young Alpha felt his heart rate skyrocketing. Since he had been turned and fought the Berserkers he was deadly afraid of them and never had been able to overcome this fear. He had pushed it aside, they were far away from him, but the fear had always been there and in most of his nightmares, the Berserkers took a role, one way or another.

And then Celia appeared, a confidently smile on her face. “You are awake again, how nice!”  
Liam tried to ignore his fear of the Berserker now lingering in the background and glared at her. “Why did you bring me here?”  
She looked at her perfectly manicured nails. “You will learn that soon enough. For now, let’s say I was tired of waiting. But hey, I know how to be a good host. You already met my demons but I figured why not make this a bit more interesting. You like interesting things, right?”  
He just glared at her and scoffed. She raised an eyebrow. “Careful, you don’t want to give me attitude. They might suffer if you do.” With a snap of her fingers, the sheets from the big thing fell off and revealed a large cage. Inside the cage were Ilona and Lucas, hands and feet tied together and mouth covered with tape. Their eyes were wide opened and they shivered in fear. It had been their heartbeats Liam heard. His eyes widened. “Mom! Dad!”  
“I liked the hustler vibe, hence the tape.” Celia giggled. “But now I’d love to hear the heartfelt words they have for you.” Another snap and the tape disappeared.   
“Liam!” Ilona called out. “Are you okay, baby?”  
“Should ask you that!” Liam gave back with a sob threatening to spill from his lips. His parents were in danger! He growled and his eyes flashed red. “What do you want?” He shouted at Celia, fangs out and ready to rip her apart. 

She giggled and held up a finger. “Hold on, this is gonna be good. Come in, guys, I know you are there. Ever, I feel your magic as much as you feel mine around here!” She called out and the factory door opened and the core pack stepped in. They all looked ready to fight and Celia smirked.   
“I know how this goes now. You threaten me, probably try to free Liam or jump me, but before you do that, look over there.” She pointed at the cage. “I have Liam’s parents there and right next to the cage is my Berserker. Before any of you is even close, I have him rip apart those lousy humans. Wouldn’t that be fun? I personally would love to see that. Maybe he could use so much pressure on the skull of Liam’s dad his eyes pop out.” Liam and Theo growled at the same time at that and Celia twirled her hair around her finger. “Aw, you don’t like my idea? Meanies!”

“What do you want from us?” Theo growled and Liam saw his fangs were out. He was shaking and trying hard to stay composed and Liam knew his boyfriend wanted to rip her apart. He could get behind that and would not stop Theo.  
“Get in the cage!” Celia ordered and the Berserker opened the door. Theo searched Liam’s eyes and Liam nodded softly. “Do as she says,” he agreed and the core pack hesitantly followed. The door closed behind Sadie as the last one and Ever balled her hands into fists. Nothing happened.  
“The cage is enchanted against magic, sweet Ever. You can’t do absolutely nothing. And it’s laced with mountain ash,” Celia elaborated and Mike who had touched the bars jumped back and looked at his burned hands. “Bitch!”  
“You say the sweetest things, huh? Did Theo teach you how to be a charmer?”  
Mike flashed his eyes and snapped in her direction. Celia didn’t look fazed at all. 

“Celia, why are we here?” Liam’s anger boiled inside him and made him snappy, even though he still was deadly afraid. He needed to know so he could think about a plan to get his pack to safety. Nolan and Mason were untying his parents and steadied them a bit and they all watched Alpha and witch. 

“I’m glad you ask. You know already that I had to teach all those witches who doubted me a lesson. I am clearly the best and most powerful witch out there and it is finally time everybody sees that. I obviously can’t do it alone but the army of demons I will gather should be enough to get me what I want. Total control and power.” Her eyes had a maniacal gleam and Liam narrowed his own eyes. They were still flaring red and he had fangs and claws extracted, ready to strike. Celia continued her vaunt. “My little book I have here has everything I need to call the higher level demons to earth and bring hell over all those who doubted me. Get my revenge and make them cry while their life flashes in front of their eyes. Unfortunately, I need power for that and even the combined power of all witches in Seattle is not enough for that.” Her lips turned into a twisted smile. “That’s where you come in, Liam. An Alpha spark is just the amount of power I need for the ritual to be successful and for giving me enough power to control the mightiest demon. Hey, smile, you play a big part in this.”

Liam was really not in the mood to smile. “What makes you sure I play my part?” He growled.  
“Hm, that’s fair.” Celia sounded understanding. “Then I have just one more question for you.” She pointed at the cage, at every single person inside. “Which Beta should die first? Tim? Or maybe Ever? Nolan? Or should I kill Mason first and let him die knowing it was his best friend, his so-called brother, that found his Alpha power more important than his life?”  
Liam growled. He wanted to fight her but he was trapped!  
Celia stepped closer to the cage. “I would be tempted to decide on Theo but I want Theo to be the last one that dies.” She smirked at the Beta. “Tara can’t wait to meet her little brother again,” she chirped and Theo growled at her. 

“Stay away from them!” Liam ordered. Celia looked at him darkly.   
“Okay, your decision then, Liam. Which Beta dies first? I’m counting. Five...” A thorn-spitting demon emerged from the shadows and spat a thorn right through the cage bars and right into Tim’s leg. He groaned and knelt on the floor, hand pressed against his wound.  
“...four...” Another thorn hit Corey in the arm and he howled in pain.   
“...three...” The third thorn hit Maya in the stomach. Not enough to kill her but enough to seriously hurt.   
“...two...” Celia held up two fingers. Liam balled his hands into fists, claws digging into his palms. 

“Stop! I’ll give you my power,” he said jadedly. His pack was the most important thing to him, he would always protect them. His Betas now screamed and all tried to change his mind but Liam shook his head to silence them. “It’s okay.” He stared at Celia. “I’ll give you my power when you vow that my pack won’t get killed!” She needed his power so he could make a deal, right?  
Celia laughed mockingly. “After I got your Alpha spark you’re no match for me anyway. Even if you tried to stop me, you would get killed in the progress, so yeah, okay.”  
“Liam, don’t do that!” Theo said sternly. Liam glanced over. His mate’s green eyes were full of emotions, he was in the same turmoil as the rest of the pack. Lucas had his arms around Ilona who had pressed both hands against her mouth in shock.   
Liam tried to smile. “It’s okay, you all are worth it.”  
He straightened his back. “Let’s get this over with.”

Celia walked over to her book again. “I will start summoning the demon and when the spell circle is opened, you’ll give me your power,” She filled Liam in what was about to come but he barely listened. Celia now started to recite the spell in a foreign language. Liam could not identify if it was Latin or not and he didn’t care. He rather looked at his pack. They all were crying. Mason wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled while he looked at his best friend. Liam lowered his head and he fought back his own tears. Sadie shook her head while she had both hands clasped together in front of her nose. Theo, Theo was probably the worst. He watched Liam and while he was quiet, his eyes betrayed him. There were so many emotions and he was suffering vicariously with Liam right now, showing in his red-rimmed eyes. Liam’s heart was breaking but he knew he was doing the right thing. It still felt not good. 

A movement in the circle caught his attention and Liam turned his head. It looked like a red fog was wobbling over the circle, moving into different forms, until it finally turned into the silhouette of a large creature with wings full of holes and sharp claws. It had not reformed fully so this was all Liam could see for now. 

Celia stepped closer to Liam and destroyed the mountain ash barrier. “One wrong move and you can watch Theo’s head getting sliced off!” She warned and Liam just nodded. “Go on! Give me your power!”  
Liam raised his hands. “I need your arm,” he instructed and when she held it out, he gripped it.   
“Liam, you don’t have to do this. We can find another way. Don’t give her what she wants,“ Corey pleaded but Liam ignored him. He was aware granting her the power would basically make her unstoppable and cause many deaths and terror. But he could not let his pack, his family, die. Liam would not lie, he was deadly terrified, had no idea what was about to come, and he just wanted to be home safe and sound again, tucked in bed with Theo by his side. The difference between what he wanted and what he was currently facing could not be more prominent and Liam had no other choice than doing what the psychotic witch wanted him to.

He exhaled shakily and then concentrated, concentrated on the Alpha spark inside him and transferring it to her. It was heartbreaking, his wolf whined in his chest, and it took far more energy than Liam had expected. But he felt the shift in power, felt it crawl through his veins. Liam looked away, he didn’t want to watch her receive the spark. It was bad enough as it was and tears were streaming down his face while he kept his head low. The shift in power was noticeable in the air and Liam heard his pack sniff and whimper. The pressure was building up, making his veins feel like they were burning from the inside and Liam didn‘t know if this was because he was doing it against his will, or because it wasn’t supposed to happen like this but it hurt and made him want to pull away. Only because he gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep going, Liam didn’t go through with his initial instinct. 

And then the pressure was gone and he heard the pack gasp. "What happened?“ Lucas asked the Betas while Liam slumped to the ground, bones aching and head feeling like it was being split in half by the exhaustion he currently felt.

“The pack bond weakened. A pack is the strongest with Alpha and Betas. And we don’t have an Alpha anymore,“ Maya mumbled and wiped away her tears. Liam turned his head and in some reflective part of whatever it once had been, he saw his reflection. His eyes were flashing but they were not red anymore, they were golden. Sadness flowed through Liam because yes, he may have saved his pack, but he had given up something that had also been important to him. Maybe somebody else would feel better about being that selfless but Liam grieved what he had lost. He felt vulnerable, probably because he was so exhausted right now. Maybe he would feel better again after he had slept. He surely hoped so.

Celia closed her eyes and inhaled with a smile. Liam hated her and he hated even more that she had his power now. “You got what you wanted. Let us go.“  
She opened her eyes and shrugged while her main attention was on the summoning. “After I called the demon into this world, they can leave all they want.“  
“They? You said we all could leave,“ Liam reminded her.  
Celia cackled. “No, I said I would not kill your pack and that you are no match for me. They can leave but I need a sacrifice, Liam. It’s not that hard to understand, is it?“  
When the realization of her words sunk in, two very different things happened. Liam was suddenly faced with the ultimate threat of dying right the next minute and while this wasn’t the first situation of that kind he found himself in, this made his blood run cold, colder than the sudden appearance of the Berserker (and he still was scared of the thing lurking in the background). Liam knew he was no match for a demon from the deepest pits of hell and faced with the possibility to die once and for all, he felt more helpless than ever and his eyes widened in horror while his mouth stood open in a silent scream. The second thing that happened was Theo completely losing it inside the cage. He roared and didn’t care about the burn in his hands when he gripped the bars of the cage.

“TOUCH HIM AND I WILL RIP YOU APART WITH MY BARE HANDS! DON’T YOU DARE TO LAY YOUR DIRTY FINGERS ON HIM!!!!” He yelled and continued to utter death threats which continuously got more and more brutal. “IF YOU KILL LIAM I WILL MAKE YOUR FUCKING LIFE A LIVING HELL, YOU FUCKING BITCH!!! I WILL SPLATTER YOUR GUTS EVERYWHERE!!!”

“You may not an Alpha anymore but I’d suggest you tell him to calm down or my demons will rip his chest open and have a feast with his intestines,” Celia snarled.  
Liam’s lip quivered. “Calm down, please,” he pleaded and watched Corey wrap both arms around Theo’s stomach to pull him back while Mike gripped his shoulders. Theo’s shouting stopped but he was still gesticulating wildly and let out growling and hissing sounds, eyes blazing with anger and also fear. He once caught Liam’s eyes over Mike’s shoulder and Liam saw the wet streaks on his mate’s cheeks. He wanted to comfort Theo, wanted to tell him everything was going to be fine, they would be fine, but he knew it would be a lie. This was it. The end. Liam had no illusions that he would not make it out alive tonight.

He thought back to the rogue Alpha. Back then he had feared he would not return home, had known there was a _chance_ he would get killed during the fight. Now he knew he would die. The demon looked monstrous enough, even if he wasn’t fully formed yet, and Celia had his Alpha park. Both forces combined would be deadly, Liam was aware of that. He didn’t want to die. But as always, nobody asked him.

He swallowed dryly and focused on Celia. Least he could do right now was focus on the enemy and try to take some good hits before the unavoidable happened. She was completing the spell to call the demon into this world and Liam looked at the red fog. It was still changing forms but soon turned darker, looked like black smoke and that smoke-filled out a humanoid looking creature with wings littered with holes, and horns all down his spine. It didn’t have a real face, more like a gullet and his “fingers” were sharp claws. But despite the demon forming more it didn’t become completely solid and Celia raised her arms to give the spell more power or whatever, Liam had no idea. 

That’s when he noticed something seemed wrong and not at all like Celia had planned it. Liam narrowed his blue eyes and tried to pinpoint what seemed off to him. She had his power and while she wasn’t a werewolf Ever once had explained to him witches were able to use a werewolf’s power as a power source and themselves as a medium for that. It wasn’t like Liam expected Celia to sprout claws and flash red eyes but something was not how Liam expected it to be. The power he had given to her was still there, he felt it all around him, it couldn’t be that. Then what was it?

Suddenly it hit him when Byron’s words came into his mind. The Alpha spark was the problem indeed but differently than Liam had thought in the beginning. He should have remembered what Byron taught him way sooner. And while he was realizing this, Celia decided that she would go with what she was currently having. She smiled, sure of her victory, and smudged the circle on the ground. 

“I called you into this world and you work for me. I command you, you belong to me!” She addressed the demon. “And I want you to kill him! Claim your first sacrifice!” She pointed at Liam and the demon turned to him. His heart skipped in his chest when the demon lunged forward. Liam heard his mother scream and Theo roar again but since they were still captured there wasn’t much they could do. Liam otherwise...

He straightened up and his eyes blazed while he roared loudly, loud enough to make the old lamps rattle and the door shake. His fangs bared to show the demon he was not messing around and claws ready for battle. The force of his roar made the demon retreat and send Celia tumbling to the ground. Because she had destroyed the mountain ash barrier he could step closer to her and tower over her.

“A real Alpha isn’t called one because of his red eyes. They are just a status symbol. Being an Alpha is so much more than just the red eyes; it’s about how you act and how you lead your pack. How you treat people, your Betas. It’s not the physical strength that makes an Alpha but how he endures for his pack, the length he is willing to go for his pack. The Alpha power is inside you, in your soul, your mind, and your heart; not in your eyes. And when you realize that the Alpha spark really ignites in you,” he told her firmly and stared down at her. His eyes flashed gold and then suddenly the gold changed back to red. The witch whimpered in fear at the Alpha towering over her and Liam looked to his left. His whole pack stood there, back straightened and eyes on their Alpha. The wolves flashed their eyes, Corey was surrounded by a green shimmer, Ever had sparks and lights dance above her palm, Nolan raised his chin in a challenge, and Mason had his arms crossed and looked determined to bring her down with his own bare hands. They were ready to fight because their Alpha had found his spark again and it made Liam smirked before he looked back at Celia with a cold look.

The demon screeched and something in Liam told him to jump out of the way. He did just that, not a second too late, because the demon surged forward. Celia screamed. “Kill him!” She ordered. “Kill the Alpha!” But it didn’t show any success.  
“She broke the circle and freed the demon but she’s not strong enough to control him since she really didn’t get Liam’s Alpha’s spark!” Ever called out.   
The demon let out a blood-curdling scream and then attacked Celia. Liam stumbled back and could only watch when she screamed and tried to fight the creature off but was way to weak and found her demise by the demon she summoned herself. It ripped her to shreds and Liam looked away. Her screams were bad enough, he didn’t need the visual. 

And then there was silence. Celia was dead. The demon hovered over what was left of her and Liam felt the black magic pulse around them. Ever felt it too and she grew anxious.   
“Liam, get away from him! He’s not fully called into this world yet, this can’t end well!”  
When she ended the demon screamed again and the energy pulsed again, stronger and stronger with every beat. Even if he had tried, Liam had not been able to jump away in the right amount of time before the energy overwhelmed the demon and he literally imploded. The force of the energy wave sent Liam flying to the ground and he heard the wooden boxes splitter. His back hit the concrete floor painfully and a bigger part of one of the boxes hit his leg. Liam groaned and then just laid there while the other demons screeched too. It went on for a while but then it got silence and the dust settled. Every demon was gone now, the pack the only people there.

“Liam! Liam, are you there! Liam!” Mason called out to him. Liam slowly pulled himself together and got to his feet. His right leg hurt and he could not put his full weight on it but this was a small price for being alive. He coughed and limped to the cage to open it. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” he calmed his best friend. The relief on his pack’s faces had no limit.  
“Oh thank god. Liam!” Ilona and David hugged their son tightly and Liam wrapped his arms around his parents as good as he could.   
“You have to endure this since you’re fourteen? Oh, my poor baby.” Ilona cried openly and kissed his cheeks, stroked them with her thumbs as if she needed to make sure Liam was really there and not dead. His dad stroked his hair and held him, silently crying.  
And then they finally parted and Liam was hugged by his Betas. “You almost died!” Sadie was hysterical crying as she clung to him but the others were no less emotional. Corey looked like she wouldn’t let go of Liam but then did it anyway so Mason could tackle his best friend in a hug and bury his face against Liam’s shoulder to cry. Liam held him. “We’re okay. Nobody’s dead. We’re alive,” he muttered softly and Mason squeezed him tighter before he released Liam from his embrace. 

And then it was time for Theo and Liam to hug. They looked at each other, eyes glassy with tears and then Theo crossed the distance between them and pulled Liam into a tight embrace. Only then, with his boyfriend’s arms wrapped around him, his head against Theo’s shoulder and his own arms around Theo, with Theo’s fingers running through his hair, it hit him what happened and he started crying. This had been a close call, one of the closest calls he ever had in his supernatural life. 

Something wet dripped on his neck. Theo was also crying and he gripped Liam so tightly it should probably hurt but right now was exactly what Liam needed. The contact, the knowledge they were all okay and safe. 

Liam raised his head and put his hand on Theo’s cheek to stroke the tears away. Theo sniffled and then they kissed desperately, clung to each other and wouldn’t let go so fastly now. Even after the kiss, Theo tugged Liam back into his arms and Liam let himself fall against Theo. He put too much pressure on his injured leg and almost toppled over with a pained groan.   
“Liam!” Theo and his dad steadied him.   
“I’m okay. Just a few scratches,” Liam insisted but they still supported him and helped him out of the factory hall and into Theo’s truck. It was time to go home.

Liam could barely remember the drive back. He knew Theo was driving but during the drive, he put his head against the window and closed his eyes for a short moment. Next thing he knew they pulled into the driveway and Theo was at his side to carry him into the house bridal style. The movement woke Liam up again. 

“I can walk,” he mumbled, stumbling over his words because of exhaustion. 

“Yeah, but you don’t have to. Not tonight.” Theo’s tone made clear he would not discuss this and so he carried Liam into their bedroom and set him on the bed. Liam wasted no time to even think about going to the bathroom and just stripped down to his boxers. His leg was already healing, he needed to rest a bit.Theo didn’t do much else and soon the couple was wrapped in bed, blankets wrapped around them and ready to sleep. Liam had barely closed his eyes and he already drifted off again, all adrenaline from before out of his system by now. This had been a lot tonight and it took his toll now. He felt Theo’s lips brush his forehead and then he was out like a light.

For approximately two hours than he woke up again after a dream involving Berserkers again. He sat up in bed and looked at Theo by his side. The older was sleeping, peaceful for now, and Liam smiled lovingly. He leaned down and kissed Theo’s forehead, just like Theo had done to him before, and then slowly slipped out of bed. He dressed in his pajama pants and then patted out of the room. 

He felt the Alpha spark inside him, stronger than ever now, and right now he wanted to make sure his pack was okay. So Liam slowly opened every door to his Betas’ rooms, careful not to wake them, and even checked in his parents. They all were asleep peacefully and the young Alpha smiled. When he was done with his round, he walked downstairs and filled himself a glass with orange juice which he sipped while stepping out of the house and into the garden. Seattle was slowly waking up and the light of the day was slowly rising at the horizon, a soft pink and yellow for now. Spring was slowly finding its way into town and the first birds chirped in the early morning. Liam inhaled the fresh morning air and looked around.

Another fight, another won battle. It had been hard but Celia was gone now and the pack could focus on themselves. The next evil would find their way into town soon enough but for now, Liam was positive they had the chance for a break. With spring came change, the warmth was slowly returning, a great allegory for the pack right now. Things would be better now.

The sun was rising, the birds were chirping, and the air was fresh and clean. Liam smiled.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I took long for this chapter but I had other things I focused on at first and I needed to make my mind up about this chapter. Now I'm back and for the wait, this chapter is even longer than usual. I like how it turned out in the end and I am really, really curious what you all have to say about it.  
> I also know I am lacking in comment responses and I am sorry for the wait. I will try my best to reply to every single comment in the next days, I promise.


	38. Peace and quiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celia is dead so now the pack can focus on themselves again, their normal lives. Liam faces some changes in his everyday life but also gets a new idea for his future work life and Mason and Corey make a big decision.

Liam inhaled the fresh air and enjoyed the peaceful morning. It soothed him and his wolf that they could have this now without looking over their shoulder for some psychotic witch. 

Two strong arms wrapped around his waist and his nostrils flared when his mate’s scent hit him. Liam smiled and leaned back against Theo. “We need a hammock,” he stated calmly.  
“A hammock?” Theo repeated and put his chin on Liam’s left shoulder.   
Liam raised his right arm. “Yeah, between those two trees. I think it would be nice to have one.” He pointed at the corresponding trees while he talked. Theo tightened his hold and kissed Liam’s neck gently.   
“Sounds like a really good idea. Relaxing in a hammock is supposed to be unwinding or so I’ve heard.” 

Liam smiled and leaned his head against his boyfriend’s. “She’s dead, finally. Can you believe it?”  
Theo hummed. “I just wish we could have stopped her before all this happened. You almost died again.”  
“Hey, baby, shh, don’t even think about it. She’s dead now, this is a new beginning. We all made it out again, this is the important thing.” He freed himself from Theo’s hold but only to turn around and wrap his arms around Theo’s neck. Theo’s arms were around his waist immediately again. “Spring is coming, we have a break now and while we both know it won’t last forever, we can enjoy it for now. Take care of ourselves, of our pack. We could do some work around the house, like the hammock or whatever else we want to do. No thinking about death or pain for now, okay?”  
The twenty-two-year-old smiled. “Okay,” he agreed and kissed Liam gently. Liam smiled into the kiss and returned it softly. 

When they pulled away from the kiss, Theo nudged Liam’s nose with his. “Aren’t you cold?” He asked and ran his hands over Liam’s bare shoulders. Just like Liam, he had also dressed in pajama pants but he was also wearing a thin t-shirt and a hoodie he had halfway zipped up.   
Liam shook his head. “I’m fine,” he calmed his boyfriend and ran his hand through Theo’s hair. Theo huffed amusedly but then opened his hoodie and shrugged it off to put it around Liam’s shoulders. “It’s still better that way,” he insisted. Liam rolled his eyes but honestly, he was touched by his boyfriend caring about him. He sighed and wrapped his arms around Theo, pressed close to his mate. Theo wrapped his arms tighter around Liam and the couple just stood there in their tight embrace. 

“You barely slept. Want to go back to bed?” Theo asked after a while and Liam had to admit, he felt tired again. Staying outside for a bit had made him feel the exhaustion again. “I woke up because I dreamed of Berserkers again but yes, let’s go back to bed,” he muttered.  
“Why did you never tell me about your fear? Mason said you are deadly afraid of the Berserkers, they are basically your Tara. Why did you never tell me there is something that deeply terrifies you?”  
Liam sighed. “I thought they were in a temple in Mexico, far away from me. I seriously didn’t think they would show up at my front door again. Literally.” Replaying the memory of the Berserker grabbing him made Liam wince and he pressed closer to Theo. Theo held him close and stroked his hair.   
“It’s alright, they won’t get to you. I protect you from them, just like you protect me from Tara.”  
Theo’s words helped Liam a lot. He was still pretty terrified of the Berserkers, probably always would be. But knowing Theo was there helped more than Liam could ever phrase. 

“Let’s go back to bed,” he said and raised his head to peck Theo’s lips again. Next moment he squeaked when Theo literally swept him off his feet and carried him bridal style again. “Theo!” He laughed and loosely slung his arms around Theo’s neck. “Put me down!”  
“Nope. Sometimes you deserve to be treated like a king.” Theo chuckle and carried Liam inside the house and back into their room. Liam laughed and held onto his lover. He wasn’t afraid Theo would drop him, Theo never did that, but he was not used to being carried like this. 

In the room, he kissed Theo deeply and it made Theo struggle a bit. The couple toppled on the bed and both laughed into their kiss. “Fuck, I love you so much,” Liam exclaimed and pulled Theo flush against his body. Theo chuckled and sucked on Liam’s lip.   
“I love you too” he pushed himself on his hands so he could look at Liam properly. “And I would love to show you how much, but I can feel your exhaustion through our bond. You need sleep.”  
Liam loved the sex with Theo but he was happy his boyfriend showed this much common sense. He was so tired his eyes were burning with the task of keeping them open and he would have not enjoyed the sex as much as usual in his current state. He leaned up and kissed Theo.  
“Thanks. Let us sleep.”  
Theo smiled and pulled the blanket over Liam and himself. They cuddled in bed again and Liam closed his eyes when he felt Theo’s arms wrapped around him again. That way he felt the safest and he never fell asleep faster than when Theo held him. And he had still wrapped Theo’s hoodie wrapped around him so the scent also added to it.

******  
Liam woke up to hushed whisper outside his door. He scrunched his nose but stayed in his current position and strained his ears.  
“Could you please open the door for me?” That was Sadie.  
“Could you stop giving orders?” Mike.  
“I am carrying the tray so _someone_ has to open the door for me!” Sadie hissed back.   
“Be louder and you will wake up Liam for sure!” Mason snapped.  
“Kids - and yes I’m aware you are all eighteen or older - but I agree with Mason. You all are not the quietest at the moment!” Ilona scolded.  
“I said nothing!” Tim defended himself. “Okay, now I said something...Again...Shutting up now.”  
“Idiots!” Theo cursed from somewhere to Liam’s right and Liam rolled on his back and rubbed his eyes with one hand. “What’s going on?” He asked sleepily. 

His pack chose the moment to burst through the door, Sadie carrying a tray full of breakfast food, Mason and Mike almost fell over each other’s feet in their haste to follow her, Tim sighed and followed a bit more composed, just like the rest of the pack.  
“Liam! You’re awake!” Corey exclaimed and almost fell flat on his face when Aka and Koda raced between his legs with loud barks and jumped on the bed.   
“With how loud you were I would have needed to be deaf not to wake up,” Liam answered and petted the dogs. His Betas (including his parents) looked like little children who just got scolded and Liam grinned. “I smell food.”  
“Food, yes! Breakfast! For you!” Sadie was so eager to hand over the tray she stumbled and the whole tray tipped. Scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice, milk, fruits, everything crashed down on the bed and the floor. Aka howled and jumped in Liam’s arms while Koda hid under the blankets between Theo and Liam. Theo hid his face in his hands and groaned. “Jesus Christ!”

“You’re an atheist,” Liam reminded him and looked at the juice and the milk seeping into the blanket.   
“I’ll go and get a towel!” Maya called out.  
“No, I’ll go!” Corey yelled back Nolan was literally run over by the two of them. Liam grimaced when the human’s elbow collided with the door handle. That had to hurt! And Liam growled.   
“Stop! All of you! Turn around and back here!” He barked. Corey and Maya stopped in the hallway, then they slowly turned around and made their way back into the room. Liam kissed Aka’s head and put him on the bed before he got up, eyes still on his Betas.   
“What’s up with you?”  
They all shared a look. “What are you talking about?” Mike tried to play it off.  
Liam narrowed his eyes. “I know you, all of you. You’re literally tripping over your feet to get me what I want and I’m sure if I told you now I want coffee from the coffee shop at the other side of town, you would race to the cars to drive there and get me one.”  
The Betas shared looks again. “Do you want coffee from the coffee shop across town?” Ever asked.  
“Are you fucking kidding me??” Liam yelled back. “You stay and you tell me what the hell is going on!”

The pack stayed quiet and looked like little children again but then it was Tim of all people who answered: “You gave up your Alpha spark for us. This is huge because you were willing to give up your power just so we had a chance at surviving the night, and we all realized this fully this morning. We owe you, Liam.”

“You don’t owe me anything!” Liam said firmly. “Guys, you are my family. I would do anything for you. And it’s also an Alpha’s job. I didn’t do it so you throw yourself in the dust in front of me and become my servants.”   
While he talked Liam could tell his Betas were still not convinced. “Why is this such a big deal for you, guys? You know how important you are to me.”  
“Yeah but...,” Mike shrugged and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans, “...you know, most of us don’t know how it is to have somebody do something so huge for them. It is one thing to know you love us and care about us but giving up your Alpha spark for us is a whole different level and we are...Guys, help me out!”  
“Grateful!” Ever filled in. “We are grateful and we have no idea how to show our gratitude.”

Liam watched every single member of his pack, took in how they stood there and what they had told him, and then he sighed. He opened his arms. “Stop being that submissive and come here. All of you!”   
The pack crowded closer and engulfed their Alpha in a group hug that even Theo joined. Ilona made a squealing sound.  
“This is the cutest thing! Lucas, look at our son being such an amazing leader!”  
Liam groaned at his mother’s words and blushed while he leaned his forehead against Mason’s shoulder. Mason laughed and patted the back of his head. “There, there.”

Liam grumbled and pushed himself away from his best friend to step closer to his parents and hug them both. “I’m happy you’re okay,” he muttered.  
“We’re happy you are okay,” Lucas replied and hugged his son. “I was never so worried about you.”  
“How did Celia manage to capture you?” Theo asked from behind and Liam had to admit he was also curious about that.   
Ilona sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “She showed up at our door and told us she was a friend of you. That Liam sent her because he needed our help. We let her into the house, of course, we did, even offered her coffee and a piece of my carrot cake. She was nice and very polite but the more we talked, the less it made sense what she said.”  
Liam frowned. “How?”  
“Liam, sweetie, I know you better than anybody and I know how you act, how you talk, and what she told us you said wasn’t you. It didn’t feel right, you know? So we got suspicious and wanted her to leave. That’s when she showed her true face and her demons showed up. She left us no other choice than to come with her.”  
“She also said she would kill you if we didn’t come with her. We may not be supernatural but we will do everything to make sure you’re safe,,” Lucas added to his wife’s story and Liam growled. That bitch put his parents in danger and it fueled his hate towards her, even though she was dead now.   
“I’m happy you are alive,” Liam still said and smiled at his parents. His dad ruffled his hair and his mother kissed his forehead. 

“You have to go back to Beacon Hills, right?” Corey’s voice was hesitant but he had a point and while Liam would have loved to have his parents around more, they both had work to attend and could not stay away for days. He sighed when his parents nodded.   
“I’m afraid we have. I will have to ask the Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa to help me think of a story why I didn’t show up to work yesterday. I mean, it’s not like I could tell my boss it was because I had been kidnapped by a witch,” Lucas mused.   
“We can drive you to the train station or the airport. I mean, it would be great to have you around longer but we all know it only leads to difficulties in our normal lives when the supernatural happens, so we don’t want to cause you any more problems,” Theo summed it up and Liam had to agree even though a stubborn part of him sulked his parents had to leave again so soon. Ilona really knew her son because she put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him in.   
“We will visit soon, okay? Or you visit us. I have no idea where all of you should sleep in our house but you can visit us as well. It will be nice to host you all,” she invited the core pack.   
“Don’t say this too loud!” Theo and Mason called out at the same time and laughed. “Not before you had to go grocery shopping for all of us. We’re a pack of wolves, we eat a lot.”  
“It can’t be worse than what I already experienced. I raised Liam,” Ilona joked and Liam huffed.  
“Excuse me?” He sniffed indignantly while everybody else laughed. And then Liam had to laugh too.

******  
“You don’t have to do this, I can do this later,” Liam told his mother with a shake of his head when she followed him into the kitchen after breakfast, dirty dishes in hands. Ilona just glanced at him and put the things in the sink.   
“Sweetie, you know me. Do you expect me to have you run around and do all the work while I sit there?”  
“You did more than enough work for me all my life,” Liam reminded his mother and loaded the dishwasher. He heard Ilona shuffling around and then she gently grasped his wrist and pulled him around so he faced her.

“Honey, look at me.” She cupped his face with both hands. “I did everything I could to make sure you have a good life and I won’t stop now.” She smiled gently. “I am so proud of you and I was never prouder than last night. I always knew you are an amazing young man but last night you were absolutely selfless and willing to give up something important to you just to save others. I know you struggle sometimes, I know you have your insecurities and your fair share of demons and I’m sorry. I wish I could give you my eyes so you see yourself as the amazing person that you are but let me tell you this: You are great, Liam, you are brave and you are strong and I am so proud to be your mom. You are my hero, baby, and since you were born I prayed to god that you would turn out alright and now look at you. You’re way better than I ever imagined, better than I ever dared to hope.” She shook her head. “And you’re not like _him_ which I know is one of your biggest fears.”  
Liam looked at his mom, silent and he maybe stopped breathing for a second but then he cleared his throat. “Mom...” And he hugged her, burying his face against her shoulder. Ilona hugged him back and gently stroked his hair.   
“You’re a hero, sweetie. You’ve been through so much and you still have this heart of gold and care deeply about others. I am so proud of you.”

It felt great to hear his mother say this. She was right, Liam had his fair share of insecurities and sometimes doubted his parents were really proud of him, so hear Ilona confirming it, was one of the best feelings in the world. He swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Thanks, mom.”

******  
Liam stepped into the kitchen through the back door. “I’m back!” He called out and hung his keys on the little hook next to the back door. After the pack had breakfast together, Liam had driven his parents to the train station and watched them get on the train back to Beacon Hills. He had stayed until he couldn’t see the train anymore and then got back into his car and drove back home to the rest of the pack. They all had stayed at the house, Liam presumed to give him a bit more time with his parents after the horrible night, which Liam found really nice. The Betas had overcome their desire to throw themselves in the dust in front of Liam and acted normal again...as normal as this pack could act.

“Hey, Lee,” Maya greeted and pulled a teabag out of her mug and let it drip off before she threw it away. 

“Where’s everybody?” The house was quiet, he only heard voices and sounds from the garden, except for one of the showers running upstairs. 

“Nolan’s taking a shower, the rest is in the garden with Theo,” Maya explained and picked up her mug. She made her way outside and Liam just followed her. It was the right choice because outside the sight of his boyfriend on a ladder greeted him. Theo was currently working on hanging a string of fairy lights into the tree and his shirt had ridden up to display his toned stomach. Liam never claimed to be a strong man when it came to his mate and this view had his mouth watering.  He let out a low, primal growl and his eyes flashed. 

Theo looked away from his work and smiled at him but his breath hitched when he saw Liam’s red eyes. His own eyes flashed gold in response. Liam’s lips curled into a sly smirk and he inched closer. “What are you doing?”  
“Well, you said you wanted a hammock, so...” Theo climbed down from the ladder and picked something from the ground. He held it out for Liam. A hammock in a deep azure color.   
“A hammock!” Liam squeaked and his lust was momentarily forgotten, too happy about that. “That’s awesome!”  
“Went to the store right after you left with your parents.” Theo shrugged.  
“The fairy lights were my idea,” Corey told Liam from where he sat on the ground and tried to entangle a few other strings of lights.   
“You guys are awesome!” Liam was happy and beamed before he hurried over to help Theo with the hammock. “I love you so much!”  
“Are you talking to Theo or to all of us?” Ever asked from where she was meditating on the lawn.  
“All of you but mostly to Theo.” Liam chuckled and Theo smirked at him before he winked at his boyfriend. Liam grinned and bit his lower lip. Theo stepped closer and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips before he told Liam to hold one end of the hammock while he fixed the other end of the hammock. When he was satisfied with the hold, he took the other end from Liam and fixed it on the other tree. Liam was impressed.

“Look at you, being all skilfull and boy scout-sy.”  
“Boyscout?” Theo laughed. “I’m the farthest away from a boy scout.” He shook his head and his eyes sparkled in amusement about the comparison. “I’m just good with my hands.”  
“We bet you are!” Every Beta called out at the same time and Liam snorted with laughter.  
“That was awesome, guys. And your face!” He laughed at his mate but skidded over to wrap his arms around Theo’s neck. “You’re my personal boy scout and I’m grateful to have such an amazing mate. You are such a great person,” he praised the love of his life and kissed him. Theo wrapped his arms around Liam and hugged him close while he kissed him back. And when he picked Liam up during the kiss and Liam heard a camera go off, he knew there soon would be a new picture on the wall. 

“Want to christen your new hammock?” Theo invited him after they parted. Liam wanted to say yes but the puppies showed up in the garden, dragging their leashes with them. They whined softly and Liam chuckled.  
“I’ll walk the dogs first and then I will christen the hammock later, okay?”  
Theo smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

Liam could not know at this point but he wouldn’t have time after he walked the dogs to christen the hammock. When he came back he was busy with his pack and then helped to prepare food for them all, clean the house a bit, and play a bit with Koda and Aka. He was determined to teach them some tricks and the two obviously liked it very much.   
So when Liam finally found himself laying in the hammock, it was already getting dark outside and Liam was curled under a warm blanket and just laid there, looking at the darkening sky. It was peaceful and the soft swinging of the hammock felt nice and like he was floating. Liam sighed happily and pulled the blanket higher.Theo walked out of the house and made his way over. “Enjoying your hammock?”  
“It’s not just mine but yes. It’s amazing.” Liam smiled and lifted the blanket. “Join me?”

Theo smiled and then carefully joined Liam in the hammock. It was big enough to fit both of them and he could curl close to Liam and put one arm across the Alpha’s stomach. Liam tucked the blanket around them and shielded them from the cool night air. He put one arm around his boyfriend so he could play with Theo’s hair. Theo snuggled closer and put his head close to Liam’s. Liam smiled and started to gently twist the tips of Theo’s hair between his fingers while he looked at the sky. 

“The stars are beautiful,” he muttered. Theo shuffled and tilted his head to look at them as well.  
“They are.” he chuckled softly. “It was a night like this when I drove to the preserve, sat in the truck bed of my car, stared at the stars and debated if I should try to forget my feelings for you or if they were too strong to ignore.”  
“Oh really?” Liam asked curiously. “I guess I don’t have to ask what you decided on, hm?”  
“Actually, I decided to try and stop feeling what I felt for you because I was sure you would never reciprocate my feelings.” Theo scratched his neck in an embarrassed fashion.  
“Oh.” Liam’s heart felt like it was held in a painful grip for a moment. “What made you change your mind?”

Theo beamed at him and Liam could not help but smile back. “Remember that one night, shortly after you and your parents took me in, that I stayed out really late and when I came home you were pissed as hell?”  
“Because I was worried, yeah,” Liam remembered. He had almost broken Theo’s nose again back then. “I had no idea where you were, you dropped off the radar for hours!”  
“I came home and you started yelling at me the minute I closed the door, luckily your parents had the night shift and were not there.” Theo continued to look up at the stars and smiled. “You were so angry and the fire was blazing in your eyes and then I suddenly realized I could never stop loving you. Because that fire, that passion, the way you deeply care about people, about me, drew me in and I would never be able to not love it.” 

Liam had no idea what to say, like almost every other time when Theo shared something like this with him. And so he just cuddled closer to Theo and pressed a kiss to his neck. “I love you,” he muttered softly after a while and felt Theo’s fingers squeeze his hip softly.   
“Good Night, Liam and Theo!” A chorus of calls came from the house and all the Betas said goodnight to the Alpha couple.   
“Good Night!” Both yelled back and stayed under the blanket. Just a little bit longer, then they would go to bed as well.

Liam rolled in a better position and Theo moved too and they ended facing each other, blanket pulled high to warm them. “Hi,” Theo said with a fond smile and Liam smirked. “Hey.”  
They looked at each other and Theo reached out and stroked a strand of hair out of Liam’s eyes. “You know what else I realized that one night we just spoke about? How fucking hot you look when you’re passionate about something.”  
Liam bit his lip. “I’m not nearly as hot as you are.”  
Theo’s brows furrowed. “Are you kidding me? Liam, you are devastatingly hot. I may be pretty, but you? You are the whole package and hotter than the burning sun.”  
He would never see it like that because compared to Theo he was _normal_. So he just shook his head. “I will probably never see it that way, T.” The Alpha considered it. “But I still can thank you for seeing me like that, right?” His lips quirked into a smirk and his eyes shimmered with mirth.  
“Liam?” Theo asked, unsure what his boyfriend had in mind. Liam just grinned more lewdly and his hand trailed down Theo’s side and towards his pants, hidden by the blanket. He pulled Theo’s pants down, including his boxers, and his fingers trailed over Theo’s length. 

“Liam, we’re in the garden!” Theo hissed but he made no move to actually stop Liam.   
“The Betas said goodnight and went to bed. Guess you have to be quiet, hm?” Liam whispered into Theo’s ear and sucked on the earlobe.   
Theo shivered when Liam’s hot breath hit his ear. “You will be the death of me one day,” he whispered.  
“Hm, enjoy the ride. You’re not doing anything else to me all the time.” Liam continued to stroke Theo’s shaft, featherlight touches until Theo was hard and panted.  
“Fuck, Lee!”  
He chuckled and his fingers closed around Theo’s cock to pump him. Theo whined and bucked into Liam’s hand. “Shh,” Liam reminded him again with a grin and kept on to pump his mate’s cock. He pulled the collar of Theo’s shirt down with the other hand and licked over his collarbone. The older shivered again and let out another whine. 

One of Theo’s hands found its way into Liam’s hair and pressed him closer to his collarbone. Liam smirked and licked another stripe over the sensitive skin. His fangs grazed over Theo’s collarbone and chased the goosebumps that appeared due to the sensation. 

Liam’s grip wavered for a moment, too occupied with his mate’s scent and the sensation of Theo’s fingers in his hair. He closed his eyes and inhaled the rich scent. When he opened his eyes again, they blazed deeply red.

Theo gripped Liam’s hair tighter and pulled him back slightly. “Fuck, your eyes are so pretty. In their normal blue and the red, both colors are fucking gorgeous.” Theo’s voice sounded slurred by with his fangs and almost as if he was intoxicated and Liam realized the way Theo looked at him was with the utmost adoration and love. His heart made a fast jump in his chest and he was once again reminded how much Theo loved him. He loved Liam just as much as Liam loved him. Their mating bond pulsed between them, beating in time with their heartbeats, pulling them even closer together. He leaned up and kissed Theo deeply, licked into his boyfriend’s mouth. Theo’s lips parted willingly for Liam’s tongue and his tongue came out to tangle with Liam’s. 

The nineteen-year-old resumed pumping his lover’s cock, slow and strong pumps and Theo’s hips bucked up again, fucked into Liam’s hand. He moaned into the kiss and sucked on Liam’s tongue and Liam groaned as well. His hand moved faster and he gripped Theo’s tighter, the precum gathering at Theo’s tip used as lube. 

They broke the kiss when the need to breathe became too strong and Liam tilted his head to lick over Theo’s collarbone again and let his fangs trail after the stripe Liam just licked across the skin. Theo groaned and pressed his eyes shut in pleasure. His grip on Liam’s hair tightened again and he held him close to his skin once more. Liam got the hint and his teeth clamped down to mark Theo with yet another bitemark. Theo gasped and when he tightened his hold, Liam felt the tip of his boyfriend’s claws on his scalp. It sent an additional shiver down his spine and he jerked Theo off more forcefully now. 

“Fuck...” Theo groaned and arched up and gasped again when Liam’s tongue danced over the newest bitemark. His body shook and he tried his best to not moan too loud and alert the rest of the pack. Liam felt him tense and saw him bite his lip to keep quiet.  
"You look gorgeous right now. The moonlight on your skin and you trashing in lust. Fucking amazing,” Liam breathed against Theo’s skin and moved on to kiss the mating bite and run his tongue across it. And that did it for Theo: His eyes flashed gold when he threw his head back in a silent scream and came all over Liam’s hand. Liam grinned and kissed Theo’s exposed throat before he marked it with a bitemark as well. 

“Wow...” Theo panted and tilted his head again to look at Liam. His eyes were still flashing and Liam pecked his mate’s lips before he raised his stained hand to lick it clean. Theo’s eyes widened and a new wave of arousal waved off him while he whined. “I can’t go again, naughty little Alpha!" He complained. Liam shrugged and continued to clean his fingers before he wiped the last bit off on the blanket. He smiled at Theo.  
“I love you.”  
Theo smiled and ran his fingers through Liam’s hair. “I love you too,” he replied and pulled Liam into a soft kiss. 

“What about you?” Theo inquired softly and Liam shook his head. He was aroused yes, but this had been for Theo.  
“I’ll take care of that later on.”  
Theo had a fond smile on his face. “You are awesome, you know that?”  
“Now I do.” Liam smiled.

******  
“Liam? Are you awake? Lee?” Mason’s soft voice woke him up and he slowly opened his eyes. His bed was soft but it was swinging and it took him a moment to realize why.   
“Oh, morning, Mase, seems like we fell asleep in the hammock.” He yawned and wiped the sleep from his eyes. Theo was still curled next to him and still peacefully sleeping. It was early morning, given the soft light around them. Mason was still in his PJs and had he looked worried in the beginning he now looked amused.  
“Looks like it, yeah.” 

Liam wanted to sit up but Theo grumbled and tightened his hold on his boyfriend. Mason laughed softly. “Somebody seems not very keen on letting you up.”  
Liam chuckled and ran his hand through his mate’s hair. The night had been peaceful, just them, curled under the blankets and sleeping under the stars even though they had not intended to stay outside the whole night. But his wolf was relaxed and peaceful inside him.   
“And he says I’m the puppy.” The young Alpha smiled down at his boyfriend and kissed his forehead. “Dore, wake up. We fell asleep in the hammock.” He shook Theo’s shoulder gently and Theo grumbled again but his grip on Liam’s dropped. He turned around instead, still too sleepy to realize where he was. 

“No, Theo, be careful!”

Too late, Theo had already turned on the other side and moved the hammock too much with his turning. The hammock swayed, Theo let out a surprised shriek and then fell out of it and to the ground. Mason laughed loudly.  
“Oh my god, this happens and I don’t have my phone with me to film it,” he exclaimed gleefully while Liam peeked over the edge to check on his partner.  
“You okay?”  
Theo sat on the ground and glared at the hammock. “What just happened?”  
“We fell asleep,” Liam explained and Theo frowned.  
“Yeah, I figured that much.”  
“You moved too much and fell down.”  
“Really? That explains why I’m down here.” Theo got up and glared at Mason. “Stop laughing!”  
Liam bit his lower lip. “It is a little funny.” And then he laughed as well.   
“You look like a disgruntled puppy,” Mason wheezed. Theo grimaced and huffed but then he laughed too. 

“I would have been willing to place my money on Liam being the one falling out of the hammock, not me.”  
“Excuse me?” Liam looked taken aback.  
“Sorry, baby, but you are not the most graceful person and falling out of a hammock would be such a Liam thing to do.”  
Liam sniffed in mock outrage. “For that alone, I will take a shower now. Alone. Without you. Serves you right.”  
Theo tried really hard to act like that wasn’t bothering him at all but he caved in the end and chased after Liam. “It was a joke, baby!”  
Liam snickered. “I know.” He nodded over to the house. "Come on, the shower’s waiting for us.”

******  
Liam sorted a few books on the shelf and reached up to get to the highest shelf and place a book there. After Celia’s death, their normal life and routine were back and that also meant working his part-time job at the bookstore.   
“Hey, Liam,” greeted Tim when he bypassed him.  
“Hey, Timmy,” Liam greeted back. “Looking for something?”  
“Nah, just a few new books to read.” Tim shrugged and walked down the isles, looking at all the books left and right. Liam knew Tim read a lot, it made sense he needed new stuff every once in a while. 

“We got a fresh batch of this one fantasy series, it’s about witches, vampires, and all, check it out. I read the first five pages and it was interesting.” Liam pointed at a table where he had placed the books earlier on and Tim wandered over to grab one and check it out. Liam turned back to his work and moved around the store but when he caught glimpse of Tim again, he saw him gathering all books currently in the series. He grinned. 

“If you wait for a while, my shift is almost over and we can drive home together?” He offered to his Beta and Tim nodded happily while he carried his loot to the cash register so Liam’s boss could ring him up. And Liam smiled back and then continued to sort the books on the shelves until his shift was over.

He just had clocked out and grabbed his bag from the storage room, was about to leave the store with Tim, when his boss called him. “Liam, dear, can I talk to you for a second?”  
Liam stopped walking and turned around. “Sure, what’s up?”  
She gave Tim a nervous glance and Liam shrugged his shoulder in a comforting gesture. “That’s Tim, he’s one of my closest friends, you can talk while he’s around.”   
She sighed and her shoulders dropped. “Okay.” She cleared her throat. “Listen, this is not easy for me and you know I like you. You were always reliable, did a great job, but the last months have not been easy for the shop. We had to fight, you know that, and it came to a point where I have to make decisions. I can’t keep my full-time workers and my temporary stuff, I simply don’t have enough money at the moment. It would be unfair to kick someone out who works full time here, you understand that, right? So, and believe me I am truly sorry and I wish I could find a better solution but there is none.”  
“You’re firing me,” Liam declared and the corner of his mouth turned down. He understood her reasons, it was only fair to the full-time workers and he would have done the same, but he had liked the job and it was sad.  
“The minute I can afford temporary workers again, you will be the first to get a call.”  
“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, okay?” He smiled weakly and she shook his hand.   
“I will write you an employment reference letter and send it to you.”

Liam just nodded and then he was free to go and stepped out of the store. Tim looked timid. “You okay?”  
Liam ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “Kind of? I mean, I understand her reasons and it wasn’t a job I was going to every day but I liked it and it’s sad I got fired.” He sighed and pawed at his wallet to check his money. “Come on, I invite you for a big sundae.” He needed something sweet to soften the blow and Tim followed all too willingly to the ice cream parlor nearby.

“You can always find another job,” Tim tried to build Liam up again when they finally had gotten their ice cream. “You are not afraid of hard work and you are nice and charming. It should be easy for you to find something else.”

Liam poked his sundae with his spoon and sighed. “I got the job back when we started college because Theo and I decided to not rely on my parent’s money to pay rent. Sure, they helped us, but we wanted to work for the apartment ourselves and when Theo found the job at the coffee shop I refused to let him do all the work alone. The bookstore I came across on accident and that it was looking for help was just a great chance. Since we don’t have to pay rent anymore we technically don’t have to work, therefore I am not as destroyed by her firing me, but it still bugs me.” He ate a spoonful of whipped cream with chocolate sauce. “The thing is: I have no idea what I want to work as. It’s the same with my major, I still haven’t made my mind up about that one yet,” he mumbled around the mouthful of the tasty food. 

Tim ate his ice cream a bit more gracefully and hummed thoughtfully. “I think your major, as well as your job, should correspond to your talents.”  
Liam swallowed and scoffed. “I don’t have many talents I could turn into money, Timmy. I don’t have many talents. Period.”  
“Don’t say that! You are a very talented person!” Tim exclaimed and his green eyes widened. “You are very caring, you are good with kids. I stand by my opinion you would be an awesome kindergarten teacher. You can also cook and bake. And you know how to repair things.”  
“I like to play with kids but I’m not sure if this would be the right job for me, you know? And Theo would have a nervous breakdown when he knows I’m around fingerpaint again.” Liam smirked at the end. “And the cooking and baking part, well I hate to be pressured while doing these things, so working at a restaurant would be awful. I probably would throw pans and pots at everyone stepping a food in my kitchen. And my boss would hate me.”  
“Well then, don’t have a boss. Be your own boss.” Tim shrugged his shoulders and ate a spoon full of ice cream.

Liam frowned. “You mean having my own business? Yeah, sure, what kind of business?” He sounded skeptical and made no point in hiding it. How was he supposed to run his own business?  
“I repeat, you’re great in the kitchen and I know you don’t want a restaurant but what about a bakery? Your baked goods are delicious, your cupcakes are to die for, and the cakes you make are seriously worth gaining a few pounds. You would not have the pressure of a restaurant, where people order and expect their food a few minutes after; you could get up early and prepare the stuff and then stay in the bakehouse to refill the shelves while someone else rings up the customers. Maybe couple it with a coffee shop.”  
“I have no idea how to run a business, Timmy.”  
“But you have a mate who studies to get his business degree.”

Liam had eaten another spoon and now scoffed into his sundae. “Me and Theo as business partners?”  
“Yeah. You two bicker and argue all the time but you are also the perfect team and work so well together. Probably because you bicker all the time so you don’t get to have many fights. You run a pack together already, running a bakery can’t be worse than that. Also, keep in mind, Theo loves being a barista and he is charming, he would work great in the front of the bakery and you in the back. And we Betas could also help every now and then.”

Liam spooned his sundae and stayed silent. This idea wasn’t as far off as he thought and something about it intrigued him. He would have to talk to Theo about that.  
“I could finish my history degree - you never know when you might need that - and take some business classes as well,” he muttered after a while and Tim beamed at him.

******  
"I don’t understand how she could fire you! You were always punctual, you always helped customers and were friendly and nice, your co-workers liked you. This woman is crazy.” 

Liam kept his eyes on his laptop screen but he had to bite his lip to not laugh out loud. Theo was ranting for several minutes now, complaining about Liam’s ex-boss and generally being more scandalized by Liam’s firing than Liam himself. He had told his pack during dinner and they all voiced how sorry they felt for Liam but the minute the Alpha couple stepped into their bedroom, Theo had started to rant. It was kind of cute, watching him move around the room, undress and then dress in his pajamas, walk into the bathroom and brush his teeth (even complain then though this sounded more like gargling than anything else), shut up when he was using the toilet but then emerge from the bathroom and continue to grouse about the inability of the bookstore owner.

“You’re getting far too agitated about this,” Liam said and clicked another link from his Google search. He heard Theo gasp.  
“Excuse me, my mate was fired!”  
“I will find another job. We don’t have to pay rent anymore, I don’t need to have a job at the moment and while I want to have one, I have a bit of a time to search for the right one,” Liam argued back, eyes still on the screen where he read the ratings of the hotel he had chosen. He felt the bed dip when Theo crawled in but paid his mate no mind.

“What got you so caught up that you can’t even look at me?” Theo asked and slipped under the covers before he moved closer and snuggled up to Liam. Liam put his arm around Theo’s shoulder and his mate leaned his head against his chest but at an angle that he could look at the laptop screen. Theo searched him out more often lately, rested close to Liam and always touching him, happy about any minute they could cuddle. Liam had the sneaking suspicion it had something to do with him almost dying in the final meeting with Celia and him giving up his Alpha spark but he didn’t voice it. He got the contact with his boyfriend out of it and since Theo was touch-starved anyway, and when his need to be close to Liam was heightened at the moment, he would not stop him and push Theo away.

“Barren River Wild West Holiday Resort?” Theo raised an eyebrow and looked at Liam now.  
Liam nodded and pulled Theo closer and his mate put his hand on Liam’s chest. “I thought we could spend a few days there. The whole thing with Celia was nerve-racking and we all deserve a break.”  
“And you chose a Wild West holiday resort?” Theo asked incredulously. “Isn’t this a bit silly?”  
“Of course, it’s silly. But that’s exactly what we need. A few days to unwind and just do some fun activities. Who cares if it’s Wild West-themed or not? It has restaurants, nice rooms, you can go for hikes, ride horses, or learn some lariat tricks, and it even has an amusement park. Sure, it is not the most original idea, but maybe it is good for all of us.”  
“And say, will you also go horse riding?” Theo asked with that special glint in his eyes that told Liam his boyfriend was teasing him.    
“I don’t like horses, so no!”  
“You jumped on a horse's back and rode into the Wild Hunt without falling off. I’d say you’re a natural.” Theo shrugged.   
Liam had no way expected this and was pleasantly surprised. “Uhm, okay, that was one time. I admit since I got with you I gained some experience in riding but if that is enough to ride a horse again?” Liam made a doubtful sound and Theo gaped at him before he laughed.  
“Naughty little Alpha! Cheeky little Alpha!”  
Liam just grinned and brushed his lips against his boyfriend’s forehead. “Seriously, do you think this is a good idea?”  
“It’s silly so it’s perfect for this pack. After the whole witchy shit show and the almost dying, you almost dying twice, we deserve something silly. The pack will love it.”

Liam surely hoped so and he saved the website under his bookmarks, mentally preparing himself to tell the pack right the next day during dinner when everybody was home again after a long and busy day. 

However, it was Mason of all people who thwarted Liam’s plans and that even before the pack started to eat.

Mason marched into the kitchen where everybody had gathered and Nolan and Theo were making sure everybody got the right dish they ordered from the Chinese place. Corey followed his fiancé who marched into the kitchen like a man on a mission. “Corey and I need to talk to you,” he announced and the pack fell quiet.  
Liam swiveled around on the barstool so he faced the couple. “Sure, what’s up?” He asked for the whole pack.  
Mason braced his hands on the kitchen table and looked at Corey who smiled and put a hand on his arm. “We need to have a talk about our wedding,” the last chimera started.  
“Uh finally settled on a color scheme? Tell me?” Sadie had somewhat become the unofficial wedding planner for Mason and Corey, and Mason and her could spend hours flipping through the wedding folder Mason had collected over the years.   
“No, not the colors. Actually, we decided,” Mason looked at Corey for support and Corey smiled softly and nodded, “to not wait any longer. We want to get married in Vegas next weekend.”

“ **What??** ”  
That had come from Liam and from Theo. Theo because he was completely baffled by that and Liam because he was sure he was having a stroke. Mason was talking about his perfect wedding for years and now he wanted a Vegas wedding?  
“Are you completely out of your mind?” The young Alpha asked his best friend.  
“Not at all. It’s just, we’ve been through a lot of dramatic stuff lately and we figured with how dangerous our life is, literally every day could be our last. We want to get married as fast as possible before another supernatural drama hits,” Corey calmly explained their reason. 

Liam still had a hard time understanding this. “This is a joke, right? You two can’t be serious! You’re either joking or you have lost your freaking mind!”  
“Why?” Mason glared at his best friend. “Because we’re too young? That’s a bit hypocritical for you to say, don’t you think? You are already mated at the age of nineteen!”  
Liam made a face. “I wasn’t going to say you are too young, I was gonna say that this is bullshit!  The supernatural takes a lot from our lives; it gives a lot but it also takes a lot; and we constantly have to make sacrifices in our normal lives but you planned this wedding, your dream wedding,  _since you were nine years old_! At the age of thirteen, you dragged me suit shopping! At the age of fourteen, shortly before I was transferred to Beacon High, you called me in the middle of the night to ask about my opinion on salmon colored ties and pink roses! You can’t honestly tell me that you want to throw all this away because of the supernatural lurking out there!!!” His voice had risen with every word and he jumped from the stool and pointed outside. 

Corey looked startled. “Mase...,” he began softly but Mason wasn’t having it.  
“I am not throwing anything away! I’m marrying the love of my life. I want to die after I said yes to Corey, okay? Not before! You of all people should understand that!!! You are my best friend!”  
“Guys, please, stop fighting, you’re both right.” Corey tried to arbitrate between the friends. “Mason, I wasn’t aware how much time you really spend on your ideal wedding. Liam, we are sure we want to get married as fast as possible. It’s important to us.”

“Why don’t you do both then?” Tim asked before Mason and Liam could argue any further and suddenly all eyes were on him which made him yelp in surprise.   
“Explain, Tim-Tim,” Theo prompted.  
“Uh, well, I watched a tv show lately and there was the oldest son of the family who proposed to his girlfriend and they told their families, decided on a date for the wedding, started to plan it, the usual stuff. But the two of them were so eager to get married they decided to have an earlier wedding without telling anybody, just the two of them and the priest. So they got married but didn’t tell their families and had the planned wedding, letting everybody believe this was their first wedding. Why don’t you do that? You get married in Vegas and only the pack knows and in a few years, you have the wedding Mason dreamed about all those years. Best of both worlds.”  
The pack stared at him. “Did somebody ever tell you that you’re insanely good at finding a compromise, Timmy?” Liam inquired and Tim’s cheeks flamed red while he grinned shyly. “I try my best.”

Liam looked at Mason. “I understand you better than you might think and I would be the first to drive you to Vegas if you insist so but I also know how important your dream wedding is to you and as your best friend it’s my duty to keep you from crazy decisions.”   
“You are the one with the crazy decisions, I just adapted,” Mason corrected. “But Tim’s idea could actually work. It would also save me from my mother’s wrath when she learns I got married without her.” His lips quirked into a smirk at the end and Corey chuckled in the background.  Liam smiled back and the best friends hugged.  
“I’m also on board with that option in case anybody was wondering,” Corey announced cheerfully and laughed at Mason’s caught expression.   
“Does that mean we’re going to Vegas?” Mike looked like a kid on Christmas. “Somebody say yes please!”  
Somehow they all looked at Liam, the Alpha, who in turn looked at Mason and Corey. “We’re going to Vegas!” They said in unison and Mike whooped and did a little dance.

“Hold your horses!” Nolan called out. “I’m not completely sure, but aren’t we all, except for Theo, too young for Vegas? We probably get kicked out of clubs and casinos cause we’re not 21 yet. How are we supposed to live it up in Las Vegas?”  
“That’s no problem.” Mike pulled his wallet out and searched for his ID to put it on the table. Maya leaned over it.  
“Is that a fake ID claiming you’re 21?” She questioned.  
“That’s a fake ID claiming I’m 21,” Mike confirmed. “I know a guy. He could get all of you one.”  
Theo took the card and inspected it. “That is good quality, almost impossible to know it’s fake. Only if you know it, you might realize it,” He mumbled while turning the card in his hands. When he heard nothing he looked up and everybody stared at him. He rolled his eyes. “I lived with the Dread Doctors. Fake documents were a must.” The way he said it was along the lines of _Come on, guys, that’s logical_ , and his pack chuckled.

“So, Vegas. I was more attuned to a wild West holiday resort but hey, Vegas is almost the same thing, right?” Liam muttered with a shrug and grinned at his pack’s happy chatter about their upcoming trip to Vegas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, something less thrilling than the last one but the pack deserves it, right? It’s not getting boring, Mason and Corey made sure of that. The pack is in for another trip. Will it be as great as New York? We will see. And what about Liam’s Wild West Resort? Will the pack ever go there? Only the next chapter will tell. Until then stay awesome guys!


	39. Wedding preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only a few more days until the wedding. The whole pack is excited, also about their trip to Vegas. Liam uses the time to talk with Theo about their future.

Liam sat on the couch in the living room, legs outstretched, and flipped through the book Theo had given him for Christmas. He didn’t know anymore how often he took a look at the book but it always made him smile and feel all warm. It was easily one of the best presents Liam had ever gotten during his life. He now took a sip from his coffee and put the cup back on the table next to him before he flipped to the next page (the page where Thep promised him to take him for a ride on a Ferris wheel and kiss him when they were on top) and leaned in a more comfortable position.

“Hey, you.” Mason appeared in the living room and sat down in the armchair next to where Liam sat. It was still early and so the pack was still asleep, Liam had been the first to wake up just like he did so often since becoming an Alpha. He enjoyed those quiet moments, where it was just him and he could sit there and just listen to the soft heartbeats in the house, knowing they all were safe.  
“Hi.” Liam smiled at Mason. “Already awake? Thought Corey was the early bird.”  
“Psh, my partner is a lot of things but he’s not really an early bird. He loves sleep too much for that. I do too but today I could not stay in bed any longer. Are you the only one awake?”  
“Yep,” Liam confirmed and sipped on his coffee again. “There’s fresh coffee in the kitchen if you want. Help yourself to a cup.”

“I will later.” Mason nodded and then picked his nails before he spoke again. “Lee, there’s something that has been bugging me since we announced our wedding plans. You said something about a Wild West holiday resort, what’s going on with that?”  
Liam shrugged. “I thought it would be nice for the whole pack to spend a few days at this resort and just relax, have fun. They even have an amusement park but then you announced your Vegas plans and that settled it. It was just an idea.”  
“Shit, Liam, I’m sorry! I didn’t know!”  
“It’s okay, really. Like I said, it was just an idea and your wedding is more important.” He smiled at his best friend but Mason still seemed distressed.  
“But your idea had been something for the whole pack and it is quite selfish from us to take that away, right?”  
“Okay, it is not selfish but even if it were, it’s your wedding. You’re allowed to be a bit selfish. Besides, the resort won’t close next weekend, we can always stay there one other time and the pack will enjoy the stay in Vegas very much, I know that.” Liam saw no problem with that and patted Mason’s shoulder. “Don’t make a problem out of this and concentrate on your wedding.”

They all were excited about Corey and Mason getting married. The original plan had been to travel to Vegas right the weekend after they announced their plans but the guy responsible for the fake I.D.s had claimed he would not be able to get them ready in such short amount of time. Mason and Corey had shared a look and then shrugged. “We waited so long, waiting another week won’t hurt us,” Corey had said and smiled softly. So here they were now, at home during a normal weekend.

Mason spotted the book on Liam’s lap. “What you’re looking at?”  
Liam raised the book and showed Mason the cover. “It’s Theo’s Christmas present for me.”  
Mason leaned closer. “That’s a great picture of the two of you. Such a cute couple.” He grinned.  
The young Alpha smirked and showed Mason a few pages. “He gave me a promise with this book, to do all those things with me. It is really cute and he put a lot of work into it. One of the best presents I ever received, and yes that includes the macaroni picture you made me when we were five.”  
“Hey, you riding a purple T-Rex was epic!” Mason called out and Liam chuckled.  
“It was, yeah. But this is epic too.”

He showed Mason all the pictures on the inside of the cover. “He must have collected them for years.”  
Mason took the book and inspected every single picture closely. “I’m sure he did, I think I saw a few of them as his phone background or that he posted them online.”  
“He did?” Liam had never really paid attention to this and thus he could not agree with Mason’s statement but he would believe his best friend. “I gathered more pictures on my phone since we got together. It is fun to switch the pictures in his contact information every now and then, depending which picture I like more. That’s the current one. I just love his smile and took it when we got our matching tattoos.” He turned the phone and showed Mason the pic.

“Your boyfriend is unfairly photogenic,” Mason mumbled. “I mean, no match for my fiancé but still. He’s a fucking model.”  
Liam smiled proudly. Maybe it was silly to be proud of something like that but he was proud nonetheless. “My boyfriend is glorious.”  
“Yet, I kind of expected it to be a topless picture. To really show him off.”  
Liam growled lowly. “That’s something I wouldn’t share with anyone because those pictures of solely for my own pleasure,” he stated. Mason blinked.  
“Okay, I forgot, mates are possessive of each other.”  
“We are.” Liam just shrugged and locked his phone again. His lock screen was a picture of the whole core pack gathered at the coffee shop and smiling brightly at the camera. One of Theo’s co-workers had taken it. It made Liam smile to have his pack with him, even if it was just in picture form.

“I never had so many pictures of any other relationship but Theo is just special.”  
“He’s your other half. What is it Ever calls you? Soul Fires?”  
“Soul Flames,” Liam corrected and smiled softly. “And we are, yes. A few years ago, I would have never thought about being in a relationship with him and now we’re here. And you, you always talked about finding your one and only and now you’re getting married. We’ve come such a long way and now we have found the ones who make us so happy and we want to share the rest of our lives with. That’s amazing, Mase, and we can be really proud how far we’ve already come.”  
Mason smiled and nodded. “Yeah. We’re at a great place, supernatural stress and dangers be damned, we have a great life and we are lucky to have found such a strong love.” His smile turned even more blinding. “And I’m going to get married in a few days!” The human jumped from the couch and did a little dance. Liam laughed and got up too.  
“Where are you going?” Mason inquired.  
“Back to bed, enjoying a bit cuddle time with my mate,” Liam called over his shoulder when he left the living room and walked up the stairs. 

 When he opened the door to his bedroom, it was to silence, only the breathing from Theo and the dogs could be heard. Aka and Koda sometimes ended in the Alpha couple’s bedroom and slept there and sometimes they slept in the hallway. Last night they had stayed in the room and curled up close to each other. Liam slowly padded into the room and to the bed to slip under the covers. Theo's had been on his back but when Liam crawled back in bed, he rolled on his side and moved closer to Liam to rest his head against Liam’s chest. Liam smiled and turned his head to kiss Theo’s forehead and then he just laid still, intended to sleep a bit more. He heard the dogs wake up and yawn and then Aka made his way over and jumped on the bed to curl up on the feet of Theo’s side while Koda rounded the bed and jumped on it too before he laid next to Liam. Liam’s fingertips brushed the dog’s fur and he smiled once more before he fell asleep again, content with his mate and their two dogs. 

******  
Liam woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and bacon. His mouth watered and he sat up to rub his eyes and then look around. Sun was peaking into the room through the curtains and he was alone, Theo and the dogs gone. His mate’s side was already cold, Theo was up for a while as it seemed. Liam yawned and rolled out of bed to shuffle downstairs into the kitchen.

“They have a rollercoaster made up like a coal mine and also one wooden roller coaster. This looks super fun,” Tim exclaimed while he looked over Mike’s shoulder. Mike sat on the table, laptop in front of him, and the whole pack around him to catch a glimpse of the screen. “And they have horses. Look how awesome they look!”

“What are you doing?” Liam asked and walked over to the coffee maker to fill his mug again. It looked funny how his pack gathered at one side of the table. “Should I be concerned?”  
Corey looked at him and shook his head. “Mason and Theo told us about your idea with the Wild West resort and so we checked it out. I mean, we have to spend our honeymoon somewhere, right? And your idea for the pack is awesome?”  
“You want to spend your honeymoon with the whole pack?” Liam inquired incredulously while he filled a plate with bacon and eggs.  
“Yeah, why not?” Mason shrugged his shoulders.   
Corey explained further: “Our dream honeymoon would be a cruise but we cannot afford this now and we’re too young anyway. So why not stay at this resort with all of you? It will be fun. We have the cruise after our second wedding.”

Liam had already checked the resort off and so it took him a moment to know what he wanted to say. “You really don’t have to do this. Go wherever you want for your first honeymoon.”  
“Oh no, Liam, this is not up for discussion. We already voted for it, this is just us informing you. We will go there after Vegas!” Sadie explained.  
“ **Can** we vote for something without our Alpha’s consent?” Nolan questioned.  
Sadie made a  _pshh_  sound. “We just did.” She smirked. “We just say, Theo was the one who decided it in the end. Liam can’t be mad at his mate.”  
Theo who had walked over to Liam gave her a flat look. “Thanks, princess.”  
“Always.”   
Liam chuckled and Theo wrapped his arms around him from the side. “You okay with that?”  
“Yeah.” Liam smiled. “I’m okay with that. Vegas and a Wild West holiday resort, this is amazing actually. Thanks, guys.”  
Theo smiled and kissed his cheek. “It was your idea, to begin with. Thank you for taking your time to find this resort.”  
“Well, only the best for my pack.” Liam smiled shyly. 

******  
Liam knew Mason and Corey were beyond excited about their wedding and he did his best to support especially Mason. He was Mason’s best man, the human didn't even need to ask, but it had come as a surprise to Theo when Corey actually asked him. Liam didn’t understand why. His boyfriend was Corey’s best friend after all, but maybe this was also Theo doubting himself again. Anyway, he now got the confirmation Corey saw him as a very important person and wanted him to be his best man. That was good. 

Mason and he talked about it while they were suit-shopping. Mason was trying on all kinds of suits and Liam was doing his best to rate every single one and state his favorites.   
“Theo was really surprised by Corey asking him, hm?” Mason asked while he looked at his reflection and buttoned up the dusky pink suit he was currently wearing. 

“I think he was really convinced Corey would ask Nolan or Tim. He works so hard on being a good person but he sometimes doubts himself so much still. I’m working on making him believe that he is a good person and we all see him that way.” Liam scrunched his nose at the suit and Mason saw it and rolled his eyes.  
“What’s wrong with that one?”  
“The color,” Liam simply replied and Mason sighed but returned to the changing room. When he emerged again, he wore a dark grey suit with a dark raspberry colored tie. It looked classy and suited him and Liam gave him a thumbs up. “That’s the one!”  
Mason stepped in front of the mirror and checked his reflection critically. And then he smiled brightly. “The tie is right in the purple range of what Corey wanted! It’s perfect.”

Liam was happy his best friend had found the perfect suit for his own wedding. But that meant it was now Liam’s turn to find a suit and Liam hated shopping! Mason quickly dressed in his own clothes again and wiggled his eyebrows at the Alpha. Liam sighed gravely.   
“The things I do for you,” he mumbled while he followed Mason and the saleswoman through the store to find a suit for him. But everything they pulled out, Liam kind of disliked from the start. Yet, it was Mason’s wedding so he went with the program and dutifully dragged some suits into the changing room.

After a dark red suit (”I look like a bottle of red wine.”), a mint green one (”You look refreshing, Liam.” “Not funny!”), a white one (”Am I the one getting married or you?”) and a suit Liam had no idea how to even call this color, something between orange and red, came the suits in more sober colors like dark blue, grey, and black. Unfortunately, those suits were either too big for him or too small, made him look silly, and Liam felt like he was a dress-up doll. He grew impatient.  
“Does it have to be a suit? I get the whole wedding thing and I don’t want to show up in jeans and a hoodie but do I have to wear a suit?” He whined.  
Mason rubbed his forehead. “What else do you suggest?”

“Can’t I just wear some suits pants, a dress shirt, and maybe a vest?” Liam would feel way more comfortable in that than in a whole suit. Mason leaned back and pondered on that for a while before he nodded. “Okay, sure. Go and look for something. I’ll stay here and pray to the fashion gods you will find something.”

“I am not that hard to dress!” Liam called over his shoulder while he dashed down the aisles in search of what he would rather wear. It took him some time and the help of the saleswoman but he finally had his arms full of things and carried them back to the changing room. Mason raised both eyebrows. 

“I didn’t expect you to find that much. But I’m willing to do anything. Hop, hop, get changed.”

Liam grumbled but walked into the changing room and closed the curtain after him. He changed into the first ensemble, a darker blue shirt, and dark grey pants, but didn’t like the grey that much, It had looked better on the hanger, yet he showed it to Mason. His best friend criticized exactly the color and Liam walked back into to change in a dark red shirt and black pants. Mason scrunched his nose. “You look like one of those vampires in teen movies.” Liam sighed and hid in the dressing room again to change into some plaid shirt and black trousers. He just stepped out of the changing room when Mason stopped him.

“No! I mean, the plaid is cute but you’re not wearing this at my wedding!”

The werewolf grumbled and then turned around, the curtain closed after him. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. Liam hated shopping, had never liked it, and Mason knew that. It was bad enough when he dragged Liam to a shopping trip and Liam had to sit there and rate his friend’s outfits but he could play on his phone at least. Now he was the model and he didn’t feel good. It was no secret Liam liked to be comfortable in his clothes, something sporty, and only a few dress shirts were thrown into the mix here and there. To dress up to the nines was nothing he felt too comfortable with, he always felt disguised. Add not finding the right thing to fit him and Liam felt like there was something wrong with him, with his body. It added to the complexes he already had with himself, even if he tried to work on them. Mason was great at fashion, Theo could wear literally everything and look like a fucking model, Corey somehow always managed to land the perfect outfit on the first try. it was frustrating and Liam wasn’t really convinced when he put on the next pieces of clothing. Black dress shirt, black vest on top of that, black pants. Liam admittedly liked what he saw in the mirror and he hoped Mason would agree. 

“What do you say?” He questioned tentatively when he walked out. Mason shot him a calculating look and stood up to circle Liam.   
“All black, huh?”  
Liam raised his shoulders. He liked the black. “Yeah?”  
Mason stopped in front of him. “ I’d say this is elegant but also fitting to party after the wedding. And you seem to like it?”  
“It’s not too much over the top. I would wear this again.” Liam smiled faintly.  
Mason smiled back. “Take it, you have my blessing.”  
“Finally!” Liam called out and they both laughed.

******  
Liam hummed along with the radio and pushed the oven door closed to let the newest batch of cupcakes get ready. One batch was already cooling down at the side while Liam was preparing dinner. He was alone in the kitchen, the pack scattered around and Theo still at work. He was supposed to come home soon, Liam realized when he cast a look at the watch, and he smiled about the aspect of seeing his mate soon. It felt like he was falling in love with Theo every day anew and he could not wait to see him.

The back door opened right in time and Theo stepped in. He smiled at Liam and Liam smiled back but then returned his attention back to the meat he was cooking. Theo sniffed.  
“Is this potato gratin and steak I smell?”  
Liam smiled and nodded. “It is.”  
The Beta slowly came closer. “Okay, it’s not my birthday and I didn’t almost die, it’s not your birthday either yet, so why are you making my favorite dish? Did I forget our anniversary?”  
“Relax.” Liam chuckled. “You didn’t forget anything, I was just in the mood to make your favorite dish and make some cupcakes. Here, try this.” He raised the plate where he had tasted one of the cupcakes and left the half of it for Theo to try. It was a moist dark chocolate cupcake with coffee frosting and when Theo tried it, he moaned at the taste. 

“Liam, that’s delicious! I know you are amazing at making cupcakes but with this one you outdid yourself. Damn!” He ate the rest of the cupcake and Liam smiled.  
“Not too strong? I played around with the flavors and tried to create something new.”  
“It is perfect the way it is. How do you call it?”  
At that Liam smirked. “The Theo. Because it surely reminds me of you and I had your rich taste and your favorite things in mind when I created it.”  
Theo looked at him, then he wrapped his arms around Liam and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Liam wrapped his arms around Theo’s waist and opened his lips to his boyfriend’s tongue. His heart was thrumming against his ribcage and he felt so incredibly happy, falling in love over and over again with this amazing man in front of him.

When they parted, he had a dazed look on his face and a fond smile. “I love you,” he whispered and pressed a soft kiss against Theo’s lips for good measure.   
Theo smiled. “And I love you.”

They stayed close to each other and Liam scented Theo before he decided to address the topic on his mind for a while now. “You know, after I got fired, I talked with Tim and he may have given me an idea what to do after college. I didn’t have the time to talk about it with you until now.”

“Now I’m curious,” Theo said and leaned against the counter. He kept his hand on Liam’s waist but used the other to stead him on the counter.

“Tim said maybe I should start my own business after college, use one of my talents. We discussed this and he mentioned me being good in the kitchen. You know I don’t want a restaurant but Tim said maybe a bakery would be good? I could get up early, prepare all the baked goods, and stay in the back while somebody else mans the cash register. There could also be a coffee shop. I thought about this and I really like this idea but I have no idea how to run a business.” He ran his hand up and down Theo’s chest. “You on the other hand...”  
“Us as business partners?” Theo asked with raised eyebrows. Liam just nodded.   
“Yeah. You like being a barista, right? I like making cupcakes and so on, it would be the perfect partnership. And we are such a great team in life and on the battlefield, this should be easy for us. So, what do you think?”  
“Well, my gut feeling says it sounds appealing. Can I think about this for a while?”,  
“Of course. I just wanted to fill you in. You have all the time in the world.”  
Theo smiled. “Okay.” He said and kissed Liam softly. Liam smiled into the kiss. It was good Theo didn’t say No from the start. That gave him hope.

The Alpha couple stood there, leaned against each other, when the loud voices of their Betas could be heard, obviously in the middle of a heated discussion. They all talked over each other and it was hard to make out what they were discussing but suddenly several screams sounded up: “LIAM!“  
Liam sighed and hid his face against Theo’s neck. Theo chuckled. “Your pack needs you, Alpha,“ he coaxed gently and Liam just grumbled. This already sounded chaotic.  
“The Alpha is currently unreachable,“ he mumbled and Theo laughed.  
“Come on, puppy, let’s see what got them riled up.“  
Liam sighed again but then pushed himself off Theo and together the pack ventured into the living room.

“What’s going on, guys?“ The Alpha asked calmly.  
“They,“ Ever pointed at Maya, Tim, and Nolan, “want to drive to Vegas!“  
“What?“ Liam was a tad perplexed by that.  
“You know I’m not the biggest fan of flying,“ Maya reminded her Alpha and Liam knew that, of course, but he was still not sure what to make out of this.  
“According to Google, this would be almost 18 hours. Are you crazy? I get being afraid of flying, but this is a bit extreme, don‘t you think?“ Corey held his tablet pc and checked Google right this very moment.  
“I’m all about a road trip but I agree with Corey, this is a bit too much. If we had like a week or something, that would be okay, but we only have a few days and if we drive there, literally a whole day would be lost,“ Theo threw in for consideration.  
“It would be also very exhausting,“ Mike added, „sitting in a car for so long, even if we do take turns in driving.“  
“But a road trip would be fun!“ Tim exclaimed and thus a new discussion was started.

“Stop.“  
The calm command worked to make every Beta shut up one after another. They all looked at their Alpha now, eager to hear what he had to say about the whole thing. Liam sat down on the armrest of the couch.  
“You’re right, a road trip would be really cool, but taking the limited time we have into account and what we want to do once we’re in Vegas, it would be less than ideal for that. So, no, we won’t be driving to Las Vegas, and I know you‘re afraid Maya, but we will faster get out of the plane than you might think. I know you can manage. We’re also driving to the resort, so you have a little road trip there. During the semester break, we can have a road trip if you want, drive wherever you want to go. For this trip now, we have to be realistic.“  
He looked at his pack and they all looked back before Maya shrugged. “I will manage two flights I think.“  
“What exactly are you afraid of?“ Sadie asked her.  
“It’s not exactly a fear, I just don’t like it. The pressure makes my ears hurt.“ Maya reached up as if she wanted to cover her ears but decided against it and dropped her hands again.  
“I have this too. It’s awful,“ Tim complained. “I hear almost nothing for several minutes after we landed.“  
“Chewing gum helps,“ Theo advised.  
Corey waved his tablet. “So I can book tickets?“

******  
Liam surveyed the people waiting in line with them. It was early morning, barely past five, and most people still looked tired. His own pack was quieter than usual, showing they were not fully awake yet, and they all sipped caffeinated beverages to kickstart their brains. Liam had already finished his coffee and thrown the cup away and now he just wanted to check in and board the plane. They had to wait a little bit longer as it seemed; Liam hated waiting. He never was the most patient one and given they were flying to Vegas of all places, he was excited.   
So to entertain himself he watched the people. A group of girls bit older than their age was there and talked animatedly about their trip. One of them was obviously getting married and had her bachelorette party in Vegas. There was a family where the mother was currently trying to reign her unruly son in who made faces at her and was generally very disrespectful towards his mother. Some businessmen and women were also there, texting on their phones or checking their emails, looking bored.

Two arms snuck around his waist and Theo leaned his head against Liam’s. “Puppy, I’m tired,“ he whined and Liam put his hands over Theo’s and smiled.  
“You will survive, I’m sure of that. Can sleep on the plane if you want.“  
A tired Theo was more about cuddling than normal Theo. Liam learned the various Theos over the years, learned what caused and triggered them, and since they became a couple he also learned how he could benefit from certain moods even more than before. Tired, cuddly Theo meant him constantly being around Liam, touching him and yearning for Liam to touch him. It was endearing, really.  
Now he hugged Liam tightly against his chest and Liam heard him inhale; his scent was as grounding to Theo as Theo’s scent was for Liam. So Liam let his boyfriend cuddle him until the line moved and they finally could check into their flights. With how early they arrived at the airport, they had time enough before they could actually board the plane, and the pack took it to inspect the duty-free stores.

They dispersed in various directions and yet Theo trailed behind Liam. The Alpha cast him a glance and grinned which prompted “What?“ from Theo.  
“You’re following me around, all the time. So much for me being the puppy.“  
Theo frowned. “Am I annoying you?“  
“What? No!“ Liam grabbed one chocolate bar from the shelf he had inspected. “You’re,“ he held the bar with the word cute on it, “cute.“  
Theo gave him a flat look. “Really, Liam? What’s next? Candy hearts with little words on it? Be mine? My love? I luv u?“  
The nineteen-year-old simply reached for a bag of said candy hearts and held it up. Theo snorted. “Corny.“  
“You are absolutely and one hundred percent not romantic!“  
“Of course I am romantic. When times call for it,“ Theo defended himself.  
“Oh really?“ The girls had approached them and heard the last sentence. “Do tell, T, what was the latest romantic thing you did?“ Sadie inquired.  
“I…,“ Theo stopped and considered it for a few moments. “It‘s not like Liam is the most romantic guy on earth either!“  
“I flew to Alaska for you. That’s pretty romantic,“ Liam replied without missing a beat and smirked when Theo narrowed his eyes at him. “Whereas you, my darling, could be a bit more romantic,“ he continued to tease.  
“I do make sure you feel loved,“ the twenty-two-year-old continued to defend himself. “On every date we have!“  
“Being romantic and being a good boyfriend isn’t the same,“ Ever corrected. “You make him feel loved and cherished but do you bring him flowers?“  
“Liam isn’t a flower type of guy.“  
“Chocolate?“  
“Puppies get sick from chocolate.“ Theo didn’t even need to think when he replied and Liam gasped in fake outrage. The girls grinned and Maya patted Theo’s shoulder.  
“Fantastic job in the romantic department so far.“  
Liam laughed. It was fun to tease his boyfriend. “Given how offended he looks right now, he sees this as an insult to his honor as a boyfriend.“  
Theo glared at him. “I am romantic!“

*****  
Liam was eager to see their room. They finally arrived in Vegas and checked in at the hotel and now they were on their way tot he room. Unfortunately, Theo had the key card and he was slower than Liam himself who used his right as the Alpha to step out of the elevator first and then dash down the hallway to find the right room number. Now he was jumping up and down in front of the door, eager to see the room he only had seen on pictures on the website until now. “Theoo!“ He whined.  
Theo grinned and played with the card between his fingers. “Eager, are we?“  
“You know me,“ Liam replied and it itched him to snatch the card from his boyfriend’s hand. But Theo, fortunately, decided to not let him wait any longer and unlocked the door by holding the card in front of the door handle. The system recognized the card and a clicking sound could be heard before Liam pushed down the handle and opened the door.

"Oh wow, this is better than the pictures!”

Liam was amazed. You entered the room and stood in a small hallway leading to the bedroom. The bathroom was located on the left side while the right wall was covered with a dark wardrobe, enough room to store everything you might need. Since it was the first door, Liam peeked into the bathroom and whistled. It was kept in sand colors, with a very modern looking shower and even a bathtub next to the shower. A large mirror was mounted above the white basin and two large lamps left and right from the mirror gave enough light to get ready, as well as the hidden lights from the ceiling. 

Liam walked further into the bedroom, followed Theo who had already stepped in front of the bed. On the right was the dark desk with a phone on top of it and the mini bar underneath the desk. A flat-screen was fixated right above the desk. Lots of light was falling in from the big window with two armchairs in front of it and a little table between the chairs. The minute you walked into the room, you walked directly towards the window and Liam liked that. The curtain was open to give an unhidden view of the fountains.   
The bed was right across the desk, in perfect view of the tv. The bed linen was kept in a lighter grey, with some dark blue elements like the dark blue comforter at the end of the bed.  Dark blue was the ruling color with the carpet being held in the same color and the lamp shades also in dark blue. The walls were painted some beige color, it mixed well with the blue and the grey.  
“I expected it to be more held in black and red, with a round bed right in the middle of the room, and mirrors on the ceiling,” Theo suddenly confessed while he let his bag slip to the ground and continued to walk around in the room. “It’s sin city after all and I imagined all rooms like that. Stupid, I know.”  
“It’s not stupid,” Liam protested. He hated it when Theo talked bad about himself. “I’m sure some rooms look like that.”  
Theo just shrugged. “Look, Liam, we have a small balcony.” 

What Liam had noticed as one big window was actually a window and a sliding door, leading to a balcony with two chairs with dark blue cushions.   
“Oh, nice.” Liam was happy about that and stepped outside to watch the busy life down on the streets. Theo stepped next to him and leaned against the banister.  
“We’re really in Vegas!”  
“Yeah.” Liam laughed. “And Corey and Mason are really going to get married tomorrow. It still feels a bit unreal. From the moment they made that decision to finally flying here, time basically raced.”   
Theo chuckled. “Yeah.” He blinked into the sun. It had gotten warm and you only needed a light jacket if any, when you went out. Perfect weather for a wedding and a trip to Vegas.  
Liam kissed Theo’s cheek and then walked back into the room. “Stay outside and enjoy the view a little bit longer.”  
“What are you doing?” Theo questioned.  
“Unpacking before the clothes get too wrinkled. Mason would never forgive me if I attended his wedding in wrinkled clothes. I will unpack your clothes too if you don’t mind.”

“It’s fine.” Theo turned and leaned back and with his elbows on top of the banister to watch Liam inside the room. “You’re real husband material. Loving and caring, you can cook and provide, and even though you’re chaotic yourself you are not dirty. A really good husband,” He praised Liam and Liam took some shirts out of the bag and put them in the wardrobe while he smiled softly.  
“You think?”  
“I know,” Theo stated and nodded. A small was tugging at the corner of his lips and Liam smiled back again.   
“You’re not so bad yourself, you know? Hardworking, protective, you deeply care about your loved ones, I can always rely on you. Also, you’re a great handyman. Very desirable qualifications for a husband,” Liam praised while he took Theo’s jeans out and hung it in the wardrobe.

Theo walked into the room again and grabbed Liam by the hips. They both fell on the bed and laughed. “We are mated but the thought of marrying the shit out of you one day excites me so fucking much!” Theo told Liam and kissed his cheek.  
Liam’s eyes sparkled with happiness upon hearing that. He turned his head and kissed Theo’s jaw. “I love you so much...future husband.”  
Theo grinned happily at that and tightened his hold on Liam. They cuddled for a moment, then Theo checked his watch. 

“As the good best men that we are, we have to meet with Mason and Corey and check out the wedding venue.”  
Liam would have liked to cuddle Theo a bit more but his boyfriend was right, they had a duty to fulfill. “Yeah, let’s go.”  
They got up from the bed and Liam took Theo’s hand in his when they left the room. Mason and Corey were already waiting at the elevators. 

“There you are! We thought you forgot about us,” Corey joked and the Alpha couple scoffed.   
“We just inspected our room,” Liam explained and Mason wiggled his eyebrows.  
“Mostly the bed, huh?”  
“Mason.” Liam sighed and rolled his eyes. His best friend grinned at him and put one arm around Liam’s shoulders.   
“No need to be shy, Lee.”  
“I hate you.”  
“Don’t you think the amount of time we spent in the room would have been too little to have sex?” Theo asked when they stepped into the elevator.   
Corey cackled. “Who knows how fast you can be? It’s called quickie for a reason, T.”  
“We don’t do quickies!” Theo protested.   
Mason and Corey started laughing and Liam gave Theo a flat look. “Thanks for sharing so much about our sex lives, darling,” he muttered sarcastically.  
Theo pushed him against the wall and kissed him deeply. “Just stating facts,” he told Liam after they parted again and smirked predatorily. Liam gently slapped his shoulder but laughed. And then the elevator reached the floor they wanted to go and they stepped out and followed the signs to the wedding venue of the hotel.

The chapel was a beautifully decorated room with a soft cream carpet and walls in a lighter greyish brownish tone. Panorama windows gave an amazing view of Las Vegas and the chapel itself could hold up to twenty guests, according to the information the hotel had given them. The chairs and the curtains on the windows were champagne-colored; a few colorful drops of flowers in orange, yellow and pink made sure it didn’t become too toneless. Flowers petals in white and light pink covered the aisle and gave the chapel the romantic cherry on top. Liam enjoyed this venue pretty much because it wasn’t too much but it also wasn’t as trashy as he had feared at first. This was the perfect mix and perfect for Corey and Mason. The wedding planner was already waiting for them and shook their hands with a welcoming smile.

“Hello, I am Penny, welcome. So glad to have you here.”

She was very friendly and very professional and started to explain how the wedding would happen after a bit of small talk. “We figured you would like dinner with your guests before the wedding ceremony. The dinner will be held in the same room as the wedding reception and right next to the chapel. That way you can enjoy the view a little bit longer than just for the wedding. If you want, we can order our photographer and have him take some pictures of everything, but that’s up to you to decide. I need your answer until tomorrow morning. After the wedding, the limousine will wait for you and bring you to any place you want to go during the night and then back to the hotel. Is there anything you would like to add to the schedule?”

Corey and Mason shared a look. “No, it looks absolutely amazing and it sounds even better. We really can’t wait,” Corey finally told her with a smile.   
“Oh my god, this place is everything!” Sadie suddenly called out. She and the rest of the core pack had joined them and the blonde was in raptures about the chapel. Her green eyes sparkled and she clapped her hands. “I need to get married here as well!” She looked around and Mike made a face.  
“Why are you looking in my direction? Maya’s over there,” he said and Sadie rolled her eyes but said nothing and continued to squeal over the chapel and the view. Ever was already taking pictures and even the guys looked amazed. Liam grinned. His pack...

Penny pulled a piece of paper out of the folder she was carrying around and had used to make some notes from what Corey and Mason told her. “This is the three-course meal menu. I would kindly ask you to decide which main course each of you want so I can tell the chef,” she explained and handed the paper and a pen over to the pack.  Liam looked over Mason’s shoulder. 

“I’ll take the filet mignon,” he decided. The other option was fish and while Liam ate fish, he would rather choose the meat if he could. And the third option, a salad, would not satisfy him either. Mason made a note behind the filet and added his own vote for that. Sadie, Corey, Ever, Nolan, and Tim decided on the fish. Maya and Mike also went for the filet and it seemed like Theo would decide on the fish but then decided for the meat as well.

“Perfect,” Penny said. “As part of our wedding package, you and your guests are free to use all amenities our hotel offers. You can use the pool, the spa, the gym, the restaurant. Everything to prepare for the wedding.” She beamed at the group and they all thanked her for that. With a few last words, she left them and walked away to take care of the last minute preparations. 

“Excited?” Liam asked Mason with a bright smile and Mason nodded.  
“Hell, yeah!”  
“Now, I would suggest we maybe grab something to eat, explore the surrounding a little bit and then meet up later again to go out and get Corey and Mason their bachelor party!” Ever suggested and the pack whooped.   
“Food sounds amazing right now, I am starving,” Tim agreed and held his stomach. Nolan poked him there.  
“With how thin you are, where do you keep all that food? I know, fast metabolism, but really? You’re not gaining any pounds.”  
“Good DNA,” Tim replied and giggled before he slapped Nolan’s hand away. “Tickles!”  
“Guys, food!” Maya reminded them all and together the pack walked back in the elevator and rode down to the entrance hall to leave the hotel. Even during the day, Las Vegas was an impressive city and they stopped and stared every few steps, tried to take it all in.   
“This will look crazy with all those lights on. Can’t wait to see it,” Ever called out and snapped a few pictures. She and Sadie were the ones with the most pics on their phones, always ready to snap pictures of the pack and their surroundings. Nobody was safe, no matter what they did.

“I want a burrito!” Theo had spotted a food truck selling those kinds of stuff and pulled Liam along with him to check it out. The rest of the pack slowly followed. The guy working the truck greeted them friendly and Theo surveyed the menu before he ordered himself a chicken burrito. When he wanted to pay, however, Liam beat him to it and pulled out his own wallet.   
“I can pay for myself,” Theo protested.  
“This is your mate providing for you, so shut up and accept it,” Maya scolded him and made grabby hands at her own tomato-cheese-burrito. Theo looked at her and then back at Liam who just handed him the burrito and shrugged.   
“Eat,” he simply said and rubbed his neck. Even if that had been his intention he still didn’t know what to make out of it when people mentioned it. It felt like the simple action was pushed in the spotlight and they all paid more attention to it than necessary. But then he saw Theo smile and lean in to kiss his cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered as quietly that only Liam could hear him. “I love you.”   
“I love you too,” Liam replied, louder so everyone heard it but without him actually meaning to. He smiled shyly when the girls cooed and shrugged his shoulders. 

Theo happily munched his burrito but then held it out for Liam to take a bite which he accepted. “Tasty,” he mumbled around the mouth full of food and Theo nodded.  
“Being adorable together, sharing food, you guys are giving us a run for our money,” Corey stated amusedly. “I thought Mason and I were the cutest couple in this pack.”  
“That’s only because no other couples are there,” Nolan put in his own two cents while he stole an onion ring from Ever and munched it. Corey narrowed his eyes at him and the hunter grinned innocently.   
“So you’re saying Theo and Liam are only adorable as long as another couple comes along,” Sadie continued Nolan’s theory. “Uh, boys, you got competition.”  
“We are not adorable.” Theo tried to sound indignant but failed to do so since he was still eating and had taken a bite of his burrito.   
“You look like a hamster.” Liam mocked him fondly. “And you make fun of my eating habits and manners.”  
“Because have you seen the way you eat sometimes?”  
Liam ignored this entirely and continued to walk down the street, followed by his pack again. 

“You two, seriously, you love each other and you insult each other. For other couples, this would be a reason for couple therapy.” Mike shook his head.  
“We have always been like that. After I came back from hell, I mean. Liam just has those things I love to tease him about and rile him up. And Liam likes to call me an asshole. It works for us because we’re not holding anything back and this grounds us,” Theo explained with a shrug and Liam gave him an amused look over his shoulder.   
“You forgot the punching, that’s also very grounding.”  
“Breaking my nose how many times?”  
“Three times,” Liam recalled with a shit-eating grin. “And you deserved it.”  
“I saved your ass!”  
“And you did this without any ulterior motives because you didn’t think his ass was worth saving, right?” Corey teased.   
Theo smirked. “I mean, his ass is not that wrong. It would have been sad to see that one go.”  
“I feel so cherished right now,” Liam grumbled. “I’m ignoring you now.”  
“You can try but you’re gonna miss me in about five minutes.” Theo had his usual cocky smirk on his face and Liam rolled his eyes.   
“Seriously, does it ever becomes boring to be that cocky?”  
“Nope.” Theo laughed.  
“You two, I swear to god,” Mason muttered in awe. “You’re a match made in heaven. Like literally made for each other.” 

Liam smiled at his best friend. “That’s love, man. He may be a mess but a mess I’m willing to deal with.”  
“Excuse Me?” Theo looked offended. “I’m the mess? Have you met yourself?”  
“I am a frustrated ball of rage, as you put it so nicely once, that’s different.”   
“You’re annoying,” Theo fired back.  
“But you love me.”  
“Doesn’t make you any less annoying.” Theo shook his head. He put his arm around Liam’s shoulder and pulled him closer. “But you are mine and I will never let you go.”  
“I’m not planning on leaving.” 

Liam yawned after his declaration. Getting up at the crack of dawn to drive to the airport was really taking its toll right now.   
“Maybe we should go back to the hotel and sleep for a while. I mean, the plan is to spend the whole night celebrating the bachelor party, right? We need sleep if you ask me.” Ever, always the wise one. Liam nodded along with her words and the pack turned around to walk back to their hotel. It would be along night so a few more hours of sleep sounded like a very good idea. 

“You know, I think it will be a great night,” Theo said when they Alpha couple stepped into their room. Liam just nodded, sat on the bed, and removed his shoes. He was too tired for a more elaborate conversation. Theo frowned and knelt down in front of the bed to put a hand on Liam’s knee.  
“Are you alright?”  
“Tired.” Liam smiled weakly. “Nothing else. Had been an early morning. And I...Last night was not that peaceful. I dreamed of the Berserkers again. Not really nightmares but dreams that woke me up and made me feel uneasy.” He didn’t want to worry Theo but he had promised to tell his mate when things were bothering him and sometimes his fears crept up on him and he had to face them in his dreams.  
“You could have woken me, you know?” Theo stroked his leg.  
“I know but I didn’t want to. You slept peacefully, I didn’t want to interrupt that just because I felt strange.”  
“Liam, I vowed to protect you.”  
“So did I. It’s okay. Just let me sleep, for now, okay?”  
Theo nodded and Liam stripped of jeans and shirt and then crawled under the covers. Theo undressed too and joined him soon after.

Liam rolled on his side and put his head on Theo’s chest, happy to hear his anchor’s heartbeat. Theo ran his fingers through Liam’s hair in a gentle manner. “I am happy you are here and you are so protective,” Liam mumbled.  
Theo chuckled softly. “Always, baby. You’re the best that ever happened to me and I vowed to myself to make sure you have everything to be happy.”  
“Hm.” Liam raised his head and kissed Theo, then he curled up again and closed his eyes.  “You’re the love of my life, Theo Raeken. My soulmate. I am the happiest when I’m around you. You owe my heart and everything I have to offer.”  
Theo kissed his forehead. “I know. It’s the same way I feel about you. Now go to sleep, you need it.”  
Liam snuggled closer. “Tell me a story,” he demanded.  
“A story.” Theo still carded his fingers through his hair while he thought of something. “Once upon a time, there was a stubborn little wolf named Liam...”   
“Wacko...” Liam mumbled but he then listened to Theo’s voice and soon fell asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, right to the end of the weekend. I so get Liam's struggles with finding something to wear. It's frustrating, I think we can all relate to that, right? And yay! The pack's finally in Vegas, ready to celebrate this big event and have the time of their lives. We will see what shenanigans they're up to.


	40. Viva Las Vegas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo and Liam have fun on their own but then it is time to celebrate Corey's and Mason's bachelor party and live it up in Las Vegas

Liam closed his eyes and ran his hands through his wet hair while he tilted his head back and let the warm water from the shower fall down on him. He had woken up from his nap a few minutes ago and had made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. Theo had been already awake before Liam woke up. He had kissed Liam’s cheek when Liam passed him on his way to the shower and then left the Alpha to his own devices in the bathroom. Now Liam enjoyed the hot water. 

A few minutes passed and then Liam took the shower gel and soaped himself up. He felt refreshed after his nap, no longer tired, and was pretty excited about the bachelor party. A smile spread across his face while he shampooed his hair and then stilled, relaxed a bit more. He felt happy for Mason and Corey. They both deserved their happy end with each other and he wished them the best. It surely would be a great wedding and their second one would surely be just as great. Liam chuckled at the thought of the second wedding; when everyone was excited about Mason and Corey getting married and only the pack knowing what was really going on. He shook his head and let a few droplets fly left and right, then he rinsed himself off. The water cascading down turned soapy and white, only a faint scent of cleanness and refreshment stayed back. 

The door to the shower opened and Theo stepped inside. He closed the door of the shower cubicle behind him and moved closer. Soft hands ran over Liam’s back and helped him wash off the remaining soap. “Had to join you. Something about you and a hot, steamy shower has something I can’t stay away from,” he mumbled and pressed a soft kiss on Liam’s neck. Liam smiled and tilted his head to give Theo more room.   
“I always love it when you join me.”  
“Hm,” Theo mumbled and kissed over Liam’s neck. Despite the hot water, Liam shivered because his boyfriend’s lips did things to him. He leaned back against Theo and Theo wrapped his arms around Liam to pull him even closer and nuzzle his neck. 

“I love you, Liam.”  
Liam reached up and ran his hand through Theo’s wet hair as good as he could in his position. Theo turned his head and kissed Liam’s wrist, right where his tattoo was, and Liam chuckled.   
“I love you too, Theo.”  
Theo rumbled happily and Liam laughed at the happy sound. His boyfriend was gorgeous and he loved how he was the reason for Theo’s happiness. 

He turned around and wrapped both arms around Theo’s neck. Looking into his boyfriend’s eyes, Liam smiled and when Theo smiled back Liam leaned in and kissed him gently. The water still pelting down wasn’t bothering him in any way, in fact, it was quite enjoyable. Even more so when Theo kissed him back. The couple just stood there and kissed, arms wrapped around each other, and lost in their little bubble. 

Liam’s hands dropped from Theo’s neck to his back and stroked across his spine and shoulder blades. Theo eagerly pressed against Liam and let his own hands roam up and down Liam’s sides. The younger one smirked and leaned closer to lick some droplets away from Theo’s cheek and pepper the skin with kisses. Theo sighed softly and his hands squeezed Liam’s butt suddenly. It prompted a surprised moan from Liam and then he pressed against his boyfriend’s hands. Theo chuckled.

He didn’t comment otherwise, just picked up stroking Liam’s sides again. It felt nice to be touched so softly and yet so sensual. Every time Theo’s fingers touched his skin, Liam shivered in arousal and because it felt so very good. Of course, Theo picked up on that. He pulled away but only to turn his head again and plant a sweet kiss on Liam’s lips. The young Alpha smiled lovingly and Theo looked away to grab the shower gel and put some on his fingers before he pulled Liam flush against his body again.

“Eager, are we?” Liam laughed and wrapped both arms around Theo’s waist. He loved this side of Theo.   
Theo just kissed him and bit down on his lower lip, causing Liam to hiss. “I didn’t think you wanted to stay here for another three hours, right?” He smirked and Liam rolled his eyes.  
“Cocky asshole!”  
Theo’s smirk didn’t waver but his hands traveled to Liam’s ass and he squeezed it. Liam gasped with pure need and then pushed against Theo’s hands. He heard the quiet chuckle but didn’t care at the moment; especially not when he felt Theo pulling his cheeks apart and running his fingers over his hole.

His boyfriend had learned how to drive Liam crazy over time and he knew exactly what to do to turn his boyfriend into a whimpering mess. So it wasn’t that much of a surprise that Theo’s fingers trailed over his hole and stroked it in all the right ways. Liam whimpered again and pushed against the skilled fingers. Two of Theo’s fingers tugged at his rim now and teased it and Liam groaned while he grabbed Theo’s shoulder for support. Theo was the only hold he had currently, too far gone already to notice where he really was in the shower cubicle, if a wall was nearby or not. His boyfriend held him anyway, one hand still on Liam’s ass and the other working a finger inside Liam now. The Alpha gasped and his hole clenched around the finger. It was not nearly enough for Liam but he knew Theo always insisted on preparing him so he would not hurt Liam in any way. 

Theo moved his finger around and then added a second one. He played around Liam’s rim again and scissored his fingers a few times, then he pulled them almost completely out again. Liam whined at the empty feeling and growled in the next moment when Theo’s jammed his fingers inside him again and set up a fast rhythm to fuck Liam with his fingers, to make him loose enough.  
“You always are so tight for me, no matter if I fuck you with my fingers or my cock,” he praised Liam and kissed him. Liam still held onto Theo’s shoulder and his other hand raked through Theo’s hair and now stopped in Theo’s neck to hold himself up.   
“Only for you,” he panted and gasped when Theo’s fingers pushed against that special bundle of nerves inside him. His hole clenched and his body shook. “Theo...”  
“What do you need, baby?” Theo whispered against his lips and sucked on them before he released them after a teasing bite. Liam hissed and licked the abused part of his lip but then grabbed Theo and pulled him into a hungry kiss fueled by his desire for this man in front of him. The older moaned and thrust his fingers against Liam’s sweet spot again. Liam groaned into the kiss and shook again but then Theo withdrew his fingers. 

He grabbed the shower gel again and lubed up his cock and Liam watched him with dark eyes. His eye color switched between blue and Alpha red and he bit his lower lip to stop the sounds spilling out. Yet a needy whine escaped when he saw his boyfriend’s hard and leaking cock in all his glory. Theo smirked at the sound and stepped closer to Liam again. His hands on Liam’s hips and he hoisted him up without so much of a struggle. Liam loved his mate’s strength, had always admired it, how easy Theo made picking Liam up seem. Liam knew he wasn’t the lightest but Theo never showed any problem when they had their moments. 

“So strong and wonderful.” Liam purred and stroked over Theo’s muscled upper arm. Theo growled in satisfaction at the compliment and pressed Liam against the wall of the shower. The impact with the cold wall made Liam hiss and his blunt nails scraped over Theo’s shoulder but then he caught himself again and wrapped his legs around his boyfriend’s waist.

And then Theo was suddenly inside him while they shared yet another deep kiss and they both gasped. They broke the kiss but didn’t break away, their lips still touching and their breaths mingling.   
“Always so perfect inside me,” Liam mumbled.  
Theo grumbled again and hoisted Liam up even higher before he began to move his hips. Liam’s head fell back against the wall and he moaned in pleasure. “So perfect...yessss!”

His eyes were now completely red and blazed with the intensity of all the feelings he was currently experiencing. His nails turned sharper, turned into his claws, and he scraped them over Theo’s shoulders and his neck. Theo gripped his hips and Liam knew it would leave bruises; he just hoped they would last a bit longer than they usually did. Carrying his boyfriend’s mark in more ways than one was such an arousing thought for him. He also knew Theo felt the same and that’s why he raised his head now and flashed his eyes at Liam with a grin. His fangs were visible and he wasted no time in biting down on Liam’s collarbone to mark him once more. Liam screamed and his claws scratched over Theo’s neck. The ex-chimera hissed but eagerly pushed into the hold while his hips thrust faster into Liam. 

Their moans and gasps created a beautiful mix in the shower, the flowing water in the background adding to it. The sound of hips slapping together and their wet bodies against each other made Liam hope the walls were thick enough to keep the people next door from hearing them. He didn’t need a complaint or the hotel throwing them out. But then Theo’s cock brushed against his bundle of nerves and he howled loudly, all thought about making too much noise forgotten. 

“I love to hear you! Louder!” Theo ordered him and Liam moaned at the dominant tone of his mate’s voice. Yet his wolf wanted to tease right now and didn’t plan on submitting right now, so he grabbed Theo’s hair and pulled him back to look at him. “You first! Howl for me, _my pretty sinful Beta_!”

Theo looked at him and his pupils, already blown by lust, widened only more. The gold burned into Liam’s red and his lips curved into a very private smile, reserved only for Liam. When he slammed back into Liam, however, he threw his head back and howled loudly. Liam replied by also howling and his claws dug into Theo’s shoulder. Theo snarled at that and his grip on Liam’s hip tightened. 

He tightened his legs around Theo as well and tried to move against Theo’s thrusts as good as he could in his position. Liam found it to be quite difficult and so he just wrapped his legs even tighter and he clenched around his lover’s cock buried deep inside him. Theo moved harder, every thrust made Liam’s body shake and his leaping cock bounce. He didn’t even need to touch himself, what Theo was doing to him was enough to make Liam craving release, desperate to cum. 

The young Alpha whimpered and moved his hand to Theo’s collarbone where he stroked over the mating bite and then rested his hand shortly below Theo’s throat. His eyes closed on their own accord, his body determined to feel this as intense as possible, and Liam heard Theo whimper. The thrusts became sloppier, Theo was as close to cumming as Liam was.  
The thought made Liam ball his hand, a move meant to help him prolong his climax longer, but his claws scratched over Theo’s chest and that was enough to tear a loud scream from his mate’s lips while he filled Liam with his hot cum. The sheer feeling of being so full made Liam yell out Theo’s name and shoot his release all over his and Theo’s stomach. 

Liam closed his head and leaned back, grateful for the wall behind him. Theo’s arms were a comforting hold on him but right now he felt boneless and probably would have fallen back if the wall had not been there. Theo had his head leaned against Liam’s shoulder and only after a few minutes Liam was able to run his hands through the wet strands. He opened his eyes again and a fond smile crept on his face.  
“You look gorgeous, all wet and such. A true piece of art.” His voice was rough, strained from the screaming, and Theo let out a happy sound, indicating that he a) heard the compliment and b) liked he was responsible for Liam sounding like that.   
“I love you.” Theo raised his head and smiled at Liam. His own voice sounded as wrecked as Liam’s and Liam grinned at that, just as proud. He kissed his boyfriend lovingly and Theo returned the sweet kiss softly. 

When he now slipped out of Liam and gently lowered him on the floor, Liam realized his legs were still wobbly and he held on Theo for support. Only then he noticed the scratches below Theo’s collarbone. “Oh. Do they hurt?” He gently ran his fingers over them but Theo caught his wrist and pulled his fingers up to kiss them. He shook his head.   
“Not more than the bite marks. I see it as another way of stating claim. Besides...” He stroked Liam’s hips where his own claws had left scratches as well.   
Liam chortled. “We are so possessive of each other but I’m also very happy you share my thoughts about the marks.”  
“To be honest, I was afraid you would be repulsed by that at the beginning of our relationship.” Theo suddenly said and Liam blinked at him in utter confusion.”When I first turned rougher on you, I was really worried you would freak out. With my history, your history, and all. I feared you would call me abusive or something along those lines.”  
“Baby!” Liam’s eyes widened. “You are not abusive or anything of those horrible things! You would never hurt me willingly, I know that! Also, I’m the one who started the biting, you remember that?” He shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me back then?”  
Theo shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I was overwhelmed and then you reacted so positively and that overwhelmed me even more but this time with happiness.”  
“Come here.” Liam pulled Theo into a tight hug and kissed his cheek before he hugged him impossible tight. Theo wrapped his arms around Liam and buried his face against his mate’s neck. 

“I love you so much and you’re such a wonderful man. There is nobody else better for me in this world. You’re my kind of crazy and everybody knows I’m not easy to handle but you manage every day. Have I ever thanked you for that?”

Theo just hugged Liam tighter after those words and Liam stroked his neck. Their mating bond pulsed and he felt how emotional Theo was right now, how happy Liam’s words made him but how difficult it still was for him to see those things in himself. Liam didn’t pull away, gave Theo the chance to hug him as long as he needed it. When he finally did, he smiled at Liam and pecked his lips before he took the shower gel.  
“Time to wash everything off and then get ready for the bachelor party.”  
“Oh yeah, right, there was something we had to attend,” Liam mumbled and Theo laughed. His touches when he washed their bodies now were caressing and soft and Liam loved the attention. He returned the favor, of course, and washed off Theo’s body. He pressed yet another kiss against Theo’s lips and proceeded to walk over and open the door of the shower cabinet. 

Only to slip on the wet tiles. It happened so fastly, not even his fast reflexes could have prevented him, and Liam fell back. He was pretty sure he was about to hit the floor but Theo proved yet again how fast _his_ reflexes were. His arms shot up and he caught Liam before he could really fall to the floor.   
“Careful, puppy, I still need you.” He smirked at Liam who hung in his arms like it was an incredibly cliché romantic comedy movie.   
“Uh...I...Thank you.” Liam blushed and Theo chuckled and then put Liam on his own two feet again but made sure his Alpha didn’t slip until they were out of the shower. Liam grabbed two towels and wrapped Theo in one of them as some sort of retaliation. Theo laughed.   
“Caring puppy,” he teased Liam gently but then used the towel to dry himself off. Liam stuck out his tongue and then proceeded to dry himself off as well. It was time to get ready and meet with the others.

“Excited about tonight?” he asked Theo later when they were styling themselves.   
“Sure. A bachelor party in Las Vegas is not something you’re having every weekend so yep.” Theo nodded and eyed himself critically in the bathroom mirror.   
Liam turned and leaned with his hip against the counter, eyes roaming over his boyfriend’s appearance. Theo wore ripped grey jeans with and a simple dark blue shirt but he looked amazing. A smile appeared on Liam’s face.  
“What?” Theo had noticed Liam turning his full attention towards him and smiling.   
“You look good in everything,” Liam simply stated and Theo huffed in laughter.  
“Have to keep up with you,” he simply replied and kissed the corner of Liam’s mouth before he left the bathroom.   
Liam looked at his reflection. He wore black jeans and a green t-shirt, nothing special. And he would probably never see how Theo could compare himself to him, Liam. Theo was sexy as hell and hot like burning and Liam was not ugly, he knew that much, but compared to Theo he was just a cute puppy if any. He sighed and shrugged the self-doubts off in favor of following Theo. 

“Ready to go?”  
Theo grabbed their keycards. “Ready if you are.”

******  
“We just wanted to thank you guys for being such awesome friends. You all helped us so much with the preparations for this wedding and there s nobody we would rather share this experience with. But now, here’s to a great night of fun.” Mason raised his glass in a toast and the core pack followed his example. They were gathered at the bar of one of the many clubs on the Strip to start the night and have a few drinks before diving into the nightlife. They all laughed at Mason’s words.

“To a great night! To Mason and Corey!” Nolan called out and they toasted to the soon-to-be-married couple. Corey smiled brightly and squeezed Mason’s hand and then the pack took sips from their respective drinks.   
“I would also thank you guys for not making us wear anything embarrassing.” Corey smiled shyly and then laughed when a group of women marched past them and the bride was wearing an adult diaper and a bib. “Like that,” Corey explained further and they all laughed even more.   
“Sadie and Ever wanted to make you something but we outvoted them,” Maya explained and shrugged and the two girls in questions scoffed.  
“I wanted two sashes, nothing more, okay?” Sadie defended herself.  
“They would have been pink!” Maya retaliated and Sadie just huffed.

Liam snickered at the look of horror on Corey’s face and the look of delight on Mason’s face. He hid his face against Theo’s shoulder when the only chimera in the round glared at him. From the way Theo’s shoulders shook, his mate was also laughing.  
“You two are the worst. Stop picturing it!” Corey demanded but then laughed and sipped his drink.   
“Vivid imagination, you can’t hold that against us,” Theo defended them and Corey snorted.  
“It’s my bachelor party, I can,” he reminded Theo with a cheeky grin.   
Liam grinned and ran his hand over Theo’s leg before he felt his mate lace their fingers together. They kept close contact since they left the hotel room and Liam didn’t even know why but he liked it. Touching Theo reminded him they were indeed together and in love and that was always nice. And he was touching his anchor which calmed him. 

“Any plans for tonight, Morey? Something you want to do?” Ever inquired while she stirred her drink. Mason grinned brightly.  
"We will see,” he said and winked at her and she giggled.   
Mike knocked on the table. “Okay, then finish your drinks and let’s explore what Sin City has to offer.”

******  
Liam should have expected that at one point at his best friend’s bachelor party they would end at a strip club. Mason, no stranger to ogling attractive guys, had always talked about a stripper for his special night of fun and Liam had just rolled his eyes. At first, because Liam had always accepted Mason’s sexuality but had been so sure himself was straight that the thought of a male stripper was not that appealing to him. And then, after he came to terms with his bisexuality, because there was a certain someone, a cocky chimera with impossible green eyes and an ass Liam loved to kick as much as to ogle, had made every other guy fall flat in comparison. And also because Liam would have no idea what to do with himself or his hands when a stripper gave him a lap dance. He would probably die of mortification. He could be sexually confident with Theo all the way he wanted, this was something entirely else and Liam would have not known how to handle it. 

It was probably also the reason why he stayed in the background when they entered the strip club and sat themselves down at a table. The show began and Liam nursed his drink while he watched the hunks do their routines on stage. They were nice to look at and Liam laughed at Mason, Corey, Sadie, and Nolan waving dollar bills and stuffing the bills into the guys g-strings. Ever and Mike had taken over of taking pictures of the pack and danced in their seats and the others just enjoyed their drinks and the show. Liam’s drink had a pretty blue color with some green on top and tasted minty. He switched halfway to Theo’s drink, something red with orange mixed into it. That one tasted more like grapefruit and Liam liked it more. He switched glasses and Theo gave him an amused look but didn’t switch the glasses back. He kept cheering at the strippers and sometimes Liam caught him singing along to the music blasting through the speakers. 

And then Mason and Corey were pulled on stage and sat down on two of three chairs right in the middle of it. They giggled and Liam laughed loudly. Both looked like little kids on Christmas and it was pretty evident they were having the time of their lives. Liam really was happy for them. But then his smile fell from his face and was replaced with a frown. Because the no other than Theo was dragged on stage and seated on the third chair. The three strippers began their choreography and the more that one guy pressed against Theo the more Liam’s scowl deepened. A growl escaped his lips and Maya and Nolan, who sat the closest to him, spun around and looked at him with shocked looks on their faces. Liam averted his eyes and pressed them shut; he really didn’t need to see his mate getting a lap dance from a stripper and also because he didn’t want to expose the pack due to his eyes flashing red in the middle of a crowded club. _Calm down_ , he told his wolf. _No need to lash out. It’s just one dance._ But his wolf was still snarling inside him.

Soft fingers suddenly grabbed his chin and turned his head. “Look at me,” Theo said softly and Liam’s eyes flew open again. Theo knelt next to his chair and looked worried but now reached out and ran a hand across Liam’s cheek. Liam figured his eyes were back at their human color or Theo’s reaction would have been different than that.  
“It’s okay, Nolan took my place.” Theo pointed over his shoulder but didn’t look at the stage and kept his eyes fixed on Liam. Liam glanced at the three chairs and Nolan was up there indeed.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to come back down here again,” Liam apologized. Now he felt bad.   
But Theo shook his head. “It’s okay, I’m not mad. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I probably should have.”  
“You didn’t?” Liam was not really convinced.  
Theo smiled tentatively. “I would have enjoyed it more if my mate had given me a lap dance. Having a stranger do it - even though their moves are great - just didn’t feel right and my wolf was not satisfied.”  
“But...” Liam was cut off when Theo leaned up and kissed him. The best way to dissolve any argument, Liam realized, and he smiled into the kiss. Their wolves were possessive by nature, they were mated, so having a stranger so close to one of them and in such a sexual way was probably not something they wanted to see. 

“With how often you guys touch the whole evening already and how often you kiss one could think you two are getting married not Corey and me.” Mason’s light-hearted voice sounded up and they broke from their kiss to look at the human. He and Corey stood next to Liam’s chair and grinned. Their cheeks were flushed, just like Nolan’s behind them, and their eyes sparkled.  
“Jealous?” Theo asked and raised an eyebrow.  
Mason flipped him the bird and pointed at Corey. “My future husband; and I’m sorry, Liam, but you are absolutely no match for Corey.”  
“Now that would be a discussion we can spend hours with,” Theo argued.  
“No discussion right now. Let’s party!” Maya, always to the rescue. The show was over anyway, they could either watch it again or find another club. Since everybody was getting up, it was obviously a different club. Mason took his drink and downed the last bit of it. He swayed a bit.   
“Whoa, drunk already?” Liam steadied his best friend and smirked.  
“A tiny bit tipsy. Those drinks are strong. You know me, Lee, I can hold my liquor.”  
“Uh uh, yeah, if you say so.” Liam shrugged and clasped Mason on the back before he followed the rest of the pack outside. 

“I’d like to go dancing,” Corey announced and pointed at a club where loud music was blaring out and people continuously walked in and out.   
“Hell yeah. let’s dance the night away!” Sadie whooped and Corey extended his hand so the two of them could run across the street towards the club. Their friends shook their heads at their enthusiasm but then followed slowly. 

The club held two floors packed with people. Right in the middle of the ground floor was the big dancefloor, various tables were scattered all around the dance floor and the bar, as well as the interior, was made up to look like a Diner from the 50′s. Liam really enjoyed it and when he stepped closer he noticed the tables and chairs looked like halves of a Cadillac. 

It took a while until they could find a table big enough to fit them all but when they did and ordered their first rounds of shots, the pack moved to the dancefloor. Liam lost sight of them all soon enough but he knew they were still close. As an Alpha, it was his job and he subconsciously always looked for his pack mates, made sure they were enjoying themselves and not getting in trouble. He knew his Betas after all and even if they were safe: He came from Beacon Hills. There could always be someone or something lurking in the shadows. 

The mass of bodies on the dancefloor moved and had Liam danced with Theo before he suddenly danced with Mason and Corey and then with Mike, Theo with Ever and Sadie a few people away from Liam. The music blaring through the speakers was good to dance at and the many shots carried around by the waiters helped with the dancing as well. But at one point, Liam grew thirsty and the shots were not enough. He made a hand gesture towards Mason who looked at his direction, indicating he was getting a drink, and then made his way through the crowd towards the bar. 

Liam leaned both arms on the counter and waited until it was his turn to order. The bar was not as crowded as he had anticipated at first, but it still took some time until he could tell the barkeeper what he wanted and then it took a while until he got his drink. Liam wasn’t in a hurry, it gave him time to pause for a while, calm down a bit, and get a bit of a breather.

“All by yourself tonight? That’s a real shame.”

Liam turned his head. Theo leaned next to him, one elbow propped against the bar, and he had the most charming smile on his face Liam ever seen. He smiled.  
“No, I’m here with my boyfriend,” he joked. “He has to be here somewhere.”  
Theo looked scandalized. “He left you all alone? He must be crazy.”  
“Is that right?” Liam thanked the barkeeper who put his drink in front of him, then he turned back to Theo. “What makes you say that?”  
“You don’t leave such an attractive guy alone. Somebody else could make a move on him. Which would serve your boyfriend right, because he left you all on your own.”

Liam chuckled and sipped on the straw that came with his drink. His lips closed around the blue plastic and Theo’s eyes were drawn towards his lips. “I’m sure he will show up in a few minutes.”  
Theo stepped closer. “Maybe I can convince you I’m better in these few minutes.”  
Liam looked at him and raised one eyebrow, pretended to weigh that. “You think?”  
“If you give me a chance.” Theo’s hand sneaked around Liam’s waist when Liam took a sip from his drink and the Alpha’s lips curved into a smile. It was silly to play around with Theo but it was also entertaining. Maybe because he was also tipsy and on the way of getting drunk. The wolfsbane Ever had infused their drinks with earlier was settling in. 

“I’m not sure you can live up to that. I mean, my boyfriend’s pretty great.” He smiled innocently at Theo and his mate’s green eyes darkened with determination. His fingers stroked Liam’s side and slipped under his shirt at some point to stroke his skin.   
“Well, I would never leave you standing there all on your own. I would parade you around and show everyone my amazing boyfriend. Make them envious of me being in a relationship with such a hottie.”  
Liam’s cheek heated up and he chocked on his drink. “You can’t say things like that when I’m drinking!” He hissed after he overcame his coughing fit.   
Theo pulled him as close as possible. “But it’s true,” he whispered into Liam’s ear. “Why do you think I’m here? To make sure nobody else even dares to hit on you.”   
His heart was beating wildly right now and he looked away. “Stop it,” he demanded weakly and Theo chuckled.   
“You’re gorgeous.” He nosed at Liam’s temple and briefly kissed Liam’s cheek.   
“And you know how to flirt, huh?” Liam had found his voice again and teased his boyfriend a bit more again.   
“I’m also good at other things. Dancing, for example. Am I allowed to show you?”  
Liam grinned and then nodded. He sipped his drink and then let Theo take his hand and lead him back to the dancefloor. 

When they were engulfed by the mass of bodies again, Liam pressed against Theo and let Theo’s hands on his hips guide him a little bit. Theo was the better dancer out of the two of them. “A few minutes and I already have you pressed against me. That’s success,” mumbled Theo and Liam laughed. 

His arms wrapped around Theo’s neck and he looked at him. “Maybe I just wanted to be nice. You tried so hard.”

Theo’s lips twitched as if he wanted to say something about the hard part but then decided against it. He tilted his head instead and looked at Liam. “Then you’re nice and beautiful. You’re a keeper. I’m keeping you.” His hands grabbed Liam’s ass and squeezed it and everything Liam had wanted to argue back was gone in favor of him gasping and pressing closer to Theo.

"Liam! There you are! Exactly the man I need right now. Here! That’s my best man, guys, he can do it!” Mason, far more drunk than at the strip club, showed up out of the blue, two guys working for the club behind him.  
“What can Liam do?” Liam inquired. Drunk Mason had strange ideas and that looked like a strange idea right from the start. Now one of the guys from the club held up a big glass with a purple liquor in it.  
“We have some sort of drinking contest in this club. This is the house cocktail, created and mixed only in this club. Who manages to drowns the cocktail and not throw up afterward for at least a minute gets 200 Dollars. Your buddy here swore up and down the wall you could do it.”  
“Mason!” Liam was shocked, even though he wasn’t quite sure why. He knew Mason after all.   
Said human now danced around him. “You can do it! 200 Dollars are 200 Dollars. You’re the man! The Alpha!” He sang and suddenly every other pack member was there too as well as a crowd forming around them. Theo laughed and clapped along. “You can do it! You can do it! You can do it!” They all chimed and Liam eyed the glass. That shit looked strong already and being an Alpha or not, every other drink he had consumed had held wolfsbane which meant his healing was slowed down already and he was drunk. But his competitive streak made an appearance and he rarely backed down from a challenge.   
He snatched the glass from the guy. “Just downing this?”  
“Just this.” He held the money up. “And that is your reward if you don’t faint or puke for one minute.”  
Liam rolled his eyes, he didn’t need a vision of puking in a club. He had a reputation of being an Alpha to uphold. But he would not decline that and that was good money. He put the glass to his lips and then tilted it. 

Now, Liam had tasted quite some liquors in his young life. He had learned he liked some more than others (champagne he hated that shit) but that liquid was strong and high in alcohol content. He still didn’t plan on giving up and drank the whole thing, only taking smaller breaks to swallow. When the last drop was finally out of the glass Liam took his time to swallow it down and grimaced. 

“Damn, that shit is strong,” he complained and handed the empty glass over again while one of the guys started to count the seconds.   
“The strongest we have,” the other guy informed him. Liam grimaced again. It didn’t take much to imagine people throwing up after tasting it but he felt fine and that was solely based on the fact that he was an Alpha. His wolf really deserved a special treat after that night. And his liver deserved a vacation.  
“I am impressed. You really know how to hold your liquor.” The guy looked quite speechless when he handed the money over to Liam and he gratefully accepted it.   
“One a liver, now a minibar.” Liam shrugged but thankfully accepted the money. Mason was pumping both fists in the air and cheered for his best friend and the crowd applauded as well. Liam laughed and he wasn’t even embarrassed by the attention. He simply smirked and enjoyed the crowd cheering him on which probably was the result of the drinks he already had. When Mason jumped at him and pulled him into a hug, Liam almost toppled over from having an enthusiastic and drunk human in his arms but then he laughed and steadied them both.  
“You’re amazing. I knew you could do it. You’re the man!” The human slurred and pressed a smooch on Liam’s cheek. Liam grinned.  
“I am truly touched by your faith in what my liver can hold. Or my stomach, whatever.”  
Mason just grinned brightly and then started to jump around to the music. The crowd had started to dance around them again and now Liam and Mason joined them as well. That’s what they were here for, after all, to dance and have fun. 

They only returned back to their table when they were sweaty and thirsty. Liam slid into the booth next to Maya and she wordlessly handed him a shot. Liam knocked it back without batting an eye and she grinned and handed him another one but before Liam could even put this on his lips Theo snatched it from his grip and downed it while he sat next to Liam.  
“Hey, that was mine!”  
“Aw, puppy, you will live,” Theo teased and put one arm around Liam’s shoulder. “I’m also willing to share with you.” And he pulled Liam in a deep kiss so the Alpha could taste the drink on Theo’s lips. Liam moaned into the kiss and licked Theo’s lips, sucked on them. His hand slipped under Theo’s shirt and trailed over his boyfriend’s stomach and Theo gasped into the kiss. 

Mason’s giggle behind them broke them apart and when they turned their heads, Mason watched them while he sipped on a bluish drink in a long drink glass. Corey next to him holding an identical glass but with a pink drink.   
“How many of those did you already have?” Liam questioned and Mason shrugged.  
“One.”  
“One?” Neither Liam not Theo believed that.  
“Not more than two. Or three. Or four.” Corey giggled and played with his straw.  
Mason pushed the glass towards Liam. “Taste it, it’s fruity!”  
The overwhelming scent of alcohol and watermelon made Liam scrunch his nose. He took the glass but not to drink it, putting it on the table instead. He grabbed one of the water bottles someone (Liam would say Ever) put on the table as a matter of prudence.   
“Here, Mase, drink that.”  
“Why?” Mason was not very keen on drinking water right now.  
“Because I’m not letting you get married with a hangover.” Liam made Mason take the little water bottle.  
“But my drink!” Mason whined and Liam sighed. His rescue came in the form of Theo who took Mason’s drink.   
“I’m your sober sponsor,” he explained and drank the rest of Mason’s drink in one go. Mason looked absolutely delighted.  
“Have you seen that, Liam? He can swallow a lot. Must be usefully for the bedroom. Is it useful for the bedroom?”  
“Drink your water, Mason!” Maybe Liam was drunk himself and his inhibitions were lowered but this topic made him blush even in his current state and he was grateful Mason sipped the water. Theo meanwhile decided to also sober sponsor Corey and drank the remains of the pink drink after he added some drops of wolfsbane into it. 

“Being their sober sponsor doesn’t mean you get to drink their cocktails,” Liam reminded Theo and Theo just grinned and shrugged. He plucked the little yellow cocktail umbrella from the glass and held it out for Liam.  
“Is not a rose but here, an umbrella for my puppy.”  
“A proposal! That's a proposal with a cocktail umbrella! It’s a cock-posal!” Mason’s voice cracked. “Mason, a cock-posal is something different. That’s also something you do in the bedroom,” Corey lectured him and the core pack laughed at that.   
Liam gave them both a look and shook his head. “You’re crazy. Theo already proposed in New York, haven’t you seen the video?”  
He looked back at Theo and took the umbrella from his fingers. “I’m still keeping that.”  
Theo smiled happily and grabbed Liam’s shirt to yank him into a kiss that made the whole pack coo.   
“But, did you say yes?” Corey asked in the background.

******  
Being a werewolf with supernatural strength came especially in handy when you had a drunk out of his ass best friend you needed to take to his room. Liam was able to keep Mason up and not drop him every few steps and still unlock the door to Mason’s and Corey’s hotel room. Granted, they would have been faster if Liam himself had not also been drunk and staggered, but in the end, they managed to stumble into the room. Theo followed arms slung around an equally drunk Corey.

“That was the best bachelor ever! Had a great time!” Mason whooped. He giggled when Liam dropped him on the bed.   
“That’s how you always wanted it, right?” Liam knew his best friend, he knew all the dreams and plans Mason had for his bachelor party and his wedding. Mason sighed happily and wiggled on the bed which made it quite difficult for Liam to take off his shoes.  
“It was amazing with the pack. And you, my best man. You’re the best friend I could ever wish for.”   
“Aw, Mase, I love you too. Anything for you.” 

Mason finally stilled and Liam was able to take off his shoes and drop them to the floor. Theo had fewer problems with Corey since the chimera was mostly giggling and already half asleep once he hit the bed.   
“Okay, Mase, sleep for a few hours and tomorrow is your big day. Are you excited?” The nineteen-year-old put a hand on his friend’s shoulder and smiled.  
Theo scoffed. “Tomorrow? In a few hours, It’s already morning.”  
He wasn’t wrong. Early morning but it was the new day already. Liam waved it off. “Semantics.”

Mason watched the exchange between them and then grabbed Liam’s face with both of his hands. “You two are perfect for each other and you love each other so much. He is your perfect other, you waited for him all your life.” He got more excited the more he talked. “You should get married! Like right now! We’re in Vegas, the chapels are open. Go and get your man, Liam. Put a ring on it. I am your best man.” 

He rolled over and almost fell off the bed, only Liam’s quick reflexes held him on the furniture. “I think you should sleep now, Mason.” Liam laughed and shook his head and rolled his friend further in the middle of the bed. Corey was already snoring and Theo walked to the door.   
Mason blinked at Liam. “But he is your happy end, right?”  
He looked at his mate. Theo leaned against the frame and smiled. Liam smiled back and looked at Mason. “Yeah, he is.”  
“Then get married. Don’t wait, kids! Life's too short to wait for your wedding. It’s the same with desserts.”  
Drunk Mason was hilarious and Liam had already mentioned his crazy ideas, right?   
“We will get married,” he assured his friend and put the blanket over him. Mason seemed satisfied with that and closed his eyes, snuggled into the pillows. Liam took at his sign to leave the room and follow Theo into the hallway. 

Theo had already walked further down the hallway when he had been sure Liam was following him and now stopped to look where Liam had been. The young Alpha closed the door to their friend’s room softly and then turned around to face Theo. He watched the older stand in the empty hallway, took in his tousled hair and how his shirt clung to his body, and a big grin spread across his whole face. Liam started running and then literally jumped his mate. Theo laughed but wrapped his arms around Liam and made sure he didn’t drop his partner.  
“I love you!” Liam exclaimed and kissed his boyfriend passionately. Theo chuckled into the kiss and then kissed him back with equal passion. 

The elevator doors opened and a few people stepped out and walked to their rooms, so Theo and Liam were awoken from their little romantic peace. They pulled away from each other and Theo sat Liam down but took his hand in his own. Liam smiled gratefully and they started walking towards their own room. The hallway was large and long and went around three corners. At one point Theo started running and pulled Liam along and they only stopped right in front of their room door. Liam swiftly opened the room and the door swung open to let them inside.

Right after stepping into the hotel room and closing the door, Liam grabbed the front of Theo’s shirt and pulled him into a kiss. Theo followed willingly and pressed Liam against the closed door. “I love you,” he muttered against Liam’s lips and smiled. Liam’s hand stroked under his shirt and up and down his back and he smiled.  
“I love you too, Theo, so much.” They kissed against and the kiss turned from soft and sweet to deep and hungry. Still pressed against the door their hands wandered all over their bodies until Theo finally opened Liam’s jeans and made them drop to the floor.   
“Won’t need them for the rest of the night.”

Liam smirked. “Think so, yeah?” He teased Theo. It worked in a way that Theo just nodded and picked Liam up again. Liam giggled and held onto Theo. His legs wrapped around his boyfriend’s waist again and the door in his back was also some sort of hold for him, especially when Theo started to suck on his neck. It made Liam’s mind hazy with lust and want and his skin tingled all over. He moaned and bared his neck to give Theo as much room to play and mark as he wanted to. His mate sucked a hickey on his neck and licked it which resulted in a moan from Liam again. Theo obviously took this as encouragement and his ministrations on Liam’s neck turned hungrier, his blunt teeth ghosting over Liam’s skin and adding to the marks left on him.   
“Fuck, Theo!” Liam gasped when Theo bit down on a very sensitive spot on his neck. He balled his fist in Theo’s hair and his Beta growled with want. Theo raised his head and crashed their lips together while he turned them around and made a few steps further towards the bed. 

They only reached the next wall, then Liam was pressed against that while they were busy making out. The sudden impact with the wall made Liam grunt but right the next second Theo’s tongue tangled with his and he forgot everything else but the feelings for his mate. 

Hands wandered again, clothes got tossed left and right and at one point, when they were only clad in their boxer shorts, Theo bit down on Liam’s shoulder which caused Liam to groan loudly and threw his head back in pleasure. It painfully collided with the wall they were still pressed against and Liam hissed in pain. One hand flew up to hold his head and Theo raised his head.  
“Shit, are you okay?”  
Liam rubbed the spot where he had hit his head and nodded. He blinked and tried to will away a headache slowly forming, looked at Theo’s wide eyes, lust-blown pupils and still, he looked worried, and then Liam started laughing. Theo blinked but then he began to laugh too.  
“This is so typical us, making out and getting hurt while doing so,” Liam chuckled and laughed even harder. Theo chuckled and stroked his forehead.   
“Yeah, we tend to forget what’s around us,” he agreed. When he kissed Liam’s cheek now, he was gentle. It made Liam’s heart flutter and he hugged his boyfriend tightly. Theo’s scent hit his nose and he inhaled with a small happy sigh.“  
“You’re my home.”  
Theo hugged him back but also pulled him away from the wall. “You’re my home too.”

They now stood in the middle of the small hallway leading towards the bedroom and hugged and once they pulled away from their embrace, their eyes locked. Their mating bond pulsed and Liam swallowed. He always felt drawn to Theo but moments like this only seemed to increase his love and the will to be close to the other. And he saw the same raw emotions in Theo’s eyes as well as he felt them through their bond. His mating bite thrummed and he rubbed over it absentmindedly. They still looked at each other and then Theo took Liam’s hand and placed it right over his heart.   
“I’m yours,” he vowed sincerely and Liam smiled lovingly. He reached out and put his hand over Theo’s heart while his other hand held Theo’s in place.  
“As much as I am yours.”  
Theo’s heart skipped under his palm and he smiled at Liam, a soft and loving smile that made his eyes sparkle even in the dark room. 

“Come here.” Liam moved his hand up and put it in Theo’s neck to pull him further into the room and towards the bed. He pressed a featherlight kiss to Theo’s lips and then pulled down his boxers for them to fall to the ground and Theo to step out of it. His own boxers found the way to the floor as well and Liam made his way over to his bag to grab the lube from it. When he walked back over to Theo he made the twenty-two-year-old sit on the edge of the bed.

Liam toyed with the bottle of lube and gave Theo a coy look. “How do you want me? Your choice tonight. I’m all yours.”  
Theo’s eyes sparkled even more now, want adding to the neverending love Liam saw the whole time. “Prepare yourself. Slowly.”   
Liam nodded and opened the lube to pour some on his fingers. He moved his hand towards his hole and spread the lube all around his rim, eyes steadily trained on Theo. Theo leaned back on his hands and watched Liam.   
“Start with two fingers. I know you can take it.”  
He obeyed Theo and pushed two fingers into his hole. It made him moan softly when he massaged his rim.   
A smirk played on Theo’s lips, he liked what he saw. “Turn around and let me see you fuck yourself, baby,” he ordered and moved his hand to his own dick to stroke it languidly. Liam turned around and put one hand on the desk to have a better hold while he pushed the two fingers further in. Moans and little whimpers fell from his lips and he heard Theo’s heartrate spike up. His breathing quickened and a smirk crossed Liam’s face. Who didn’t like to know they had such an effect on their partner?

“Move your fingers faster, just a little bit.”  
Theo’s command made Liam’s own breath quicken but he followed the instructions and fucked himself with his two fingers while he spread his legs more. Theo behind him chuckled. “So perfect, such a wonderful image.”   
He looked over his shoulder and realized Theo had his phone pointed at him. Just like Liam had filmed him in New York, Theo was now filming him whereas his other hand still stroked his cock.   
Liam pushed his ass further on display and moaned when his fingers hit his sensitive spot. Theo noticed and his eyes darkened. “Add another one.”  
It didn’t take much for Liam to follow that command and he let a third finger slip past his rim. His moans got louder and he didn’t stop to prepare himself, fuck himself with his own fingers. His body shook with tiny sparks of pleasure and he balled his fist on the table. He scissored his fingers and moved them inside himself, always aiming for that special bundle of nerves to make the pleasure run down his spine.

Suddenly he felt the sting of teeth on his ass and his body jerked violently at the pleasure it caused him to know Theo had marked his body with yet another bite mark on a very intimate place. Nobody would ever know it was there, except for his mate.His fingers slipped out of his hole when Theo tugged on his wrist and Liam was span around. Theo’s lips pressed against his while he was lifted up and sat on the edge of the desk. Theo moved between his spread legs and slid into Liam’s well-prepared hole without any trouble. Liam moaned loudly and Theo gave him very little time to get used to the feeling of being so fantastically full again before he began to fuck Liam. 

Liam leaned back and steadied himself against the wall behind the desk while he was fucked so good. His boyfriend was a true god in bed, Liam had no better way to describe it than that. Absolutely amazing and he knew exactly what Liam needed and craved. Right now, Liam (and he was sure Theo himself as well) needed it fast but at the same time also deep and intimate if that made sense. He needed to feel Theo deep inside him, not only in their bond and in his heart. Just like Theo had done it in New York, Liam submitted his body to Theo tonight and Theo took full advantage of it. 

He had not really thought about it but he had begun to move with Theo, fuck himself on his mate’s cock, and paired with Theo’s thrusts it made the desk slam against the wall.   
“Let’s hope the other guests don’t feel disturbed,” he moaned and wrapped his arms around Theo’s neck. He screamed when Theo bit down on his neck, next to the mating bite.   
“They wouldn’t dare to disturb us or I will personally make their life a living hell!” He growled and his eyes flashed gold. Liam stroked his cheek.   
“My wolf,” he panted and cursed loudly when Theo hit a very deep spot inside him. “Oh yes, like that! My powerful and strong wolf. My equal in every way.”

He bowed his head and licked over Theo’s neck, tasted the salty skin. Liam moved his lips to Theo’s ear and continued to whisper things into it, alternating between filthy things and praising Theo. One of his hands had closed around his own weeping cock and he played around the head, pumped the shaft along with Theo’s thrusts.

They edged each other on and when Liam finally came with Theo’s name on his lips and painted his hand and their stomachs white, it didn’t take long for Theo to climax inside him and only because Liam kissed him greedily his loud howl was swallowed. The couple stayed close to each other, lips barely touching and breath mingling.   
“I love you,” Liam mumbled after a while and softly rubbed his nose against Theo’s.   
“I love you too.” Theo chuckled breathlessly but then gathered enough energy to slip out of Liam, pick him up, and carry him to the bed. He laid Liam down there and moved over him to kiss him lovingly. Liam ran his hand through Theo’s hair and pulled him even closer into the kiss, deepened it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as Morey enjoyed their bachelor party. Drunk Mason is hilarious and he has some seriously crazy ideas :D  
> Comments/wishes/suggestions are always welcome ♥ Love you all and hope you have a wonderful day ♥♥


	41. Say yes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to say yes. Not only to the wedding but to other things as well.

Liam woke up and sighed. He felt good, despite the dull ache in his head, but he was warm and comfortable, safe. When he opened his eyes, he realized Theo was on top of him, one leg slung over Liam’s thigh and his head tucked into the crook of Liam’s neck. It made Liam smile and he ran his fingertips up and down Theo’s spine. The Beta started to move and groaned softly.  
“Want to stay here all day,” he muttered groggily.  
Liam turned his head and nosed at Theo’s temple. “Yeah?” His own voice was still rough with sleep.  
“Yeah,” Theo confirmed, “Wrapped around you all day.”  
“We have a wedding to attend,” Liam reminded him.  
The older just grumbled. “I would say fuck the wedding but Corey’s my best friend and that would be mean.”  
Liam smirked. “It would be mean,” he agreed.  
Theo huffed. “Guess we have to get up then and meet the others for breakfast.”  
“Hm,” Liam hummed in agreement.

His boyfriend huffed again. “Well then...” He pushed himself up a bit and Liam was under the impression Theo was actually getting up but then teeth clamped down on the side of his neck and Liam gasped. This surely left a nice bite mark and Theo proudly licked it before he pulled away. “Now we can get up.” His voice was smug and Liam let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.  
“You had to, right?”  
“Of course.” Theo grinned and winked before he stood up and disappeared into the bathroom. Liam sat up and looked around, one hand running through his hair. He yawned. Today his best friend would get married. This was truly amazing and Liam was in a great mood because of that.

He yawned again and slowly rolled out of bed before he shuffled over to the wardrobe and pulled jeans, boxer shorts, and a shirt out. It would work for breakfast and afterward the pack would gather, hang around at the pool and get ready for the big event. Corey and Mason had decided to hold the wedding when it was dark outside, to enjoy the lights of the city against the dark night sky from the panorama window of the chapel. That meant almost a whole day to just enjoy their free day, relax and have fun. 

The shower was already running when he entered the bathroom and Liam stepped to the basin to grab his toothbrush. He began to brush his teeth while Theo showered. It was weirdly domestic, Liam realized, and he grinned around the mouth full of toothpaste. The big mirror also gave him a great view when his boyfriend finally stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist after he dried off. Theo stepped closer to Liam and slapped his ass.   
“Walking around naked is not a good tactic if you plan on leaving this room today, baby.”  
Liamk spat out his toothpaste and rinsed out his mouth, then he grinned at Theo’s reflection in the mirror. “Yeah, well, maybe that’s my technique to seducing guys.”  
Theo growled. “You don’t need to seduce guys, just me!”  
“Uh, are we extra possessive this morning?” Liam teased and turned around to kiss Theo’s cheek. He grinned and moved away from Theo’s grabby hands that wanted to pull him closer and stepped into the shower instead. It was just a quick one, nothing too big, and soon enough Liam exited the shower, dried off, and got dressed.

Theo sat on the bed and tied his white converse by the time Liam walked back into the room. He was wearing blue jeans and a striped tank which showed his muscled arms. Liam liked the sight and ran his hand over the lightly tanned skin while he sat next to Theo and tied his own shoes. Liam wore blue jeans as well but he had chosen a red t-shirt. His boyfriend smiled when Liam touched him and then kissed Liam’s cheek. He stood up and held his hand out for Liam which he took after he tied his shoes and got up too. Neither of them let go when they left the room and they didn’t let go when they went to meet the pack for breakfast.

Most pack members had already gathered at a big table and nipped on coffee or tea. Mason, Corey, Ever, and Nolan were the only ones missing.   
“Our Alpha couple! How are you on this way too bright morning?” Sadie chirped. Mike groaned. “Shut up, please. I’m too tired for your mood.” He rubbed his eyes and Theo patted his back before he sat down next to Mike. It was the only time he and Liam let go of their hands. Liam looked at his pack mates. They looked tired but relatively okay.  
“Should I be worried about the missing members? Especially since three of them are human?”  
“No, you shouldn’t.” Corey suddenly stepped next to the table, followed by the others. Mason looked like he was about to throw up and scrunched his nose when he smelled the breakfast. “Can you all be quiet?” He asked and slumped in the chair next to Liam.   
Liam grinned. “Hangover? Must suck, huh?”  
“I hate you,” Mason grumbled.   
Ever reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial with a light green potion. “Here, drink that. It’s a herbal healing potion and helps with the hangover. Nolan already took it.”  
“It’s really helping with your headache, it becomes just a dull ache,” Nolan confirmed and Mason blinked but then grabbed the vial. He uncorked it and poured it down his throat before he grimaced in disgust. “That’s horrible. As if I would suck on a tree.”  
“But it helps, wait a few minutes.” Ever nodded to give her words a better meaning. 

Mason just grumbled and massaged his temples. He didn’t move for a few minutes but then Ever’s potion seemed to kick in and he looked a bit healthier.  
“You should eat something,” Nolan advised and Mason nodded. He got up and walked towards the buffet, Liam shortly behind him. His stomach was grumbling and he needed something to eat as well. With their Alpha getting up, the others also got to their feet and started to grab something to eat.  

“Did I do anything stupid last night? Something I should be ashamed of?” Mason inquired while he grabbed himself some scrambled eggs and bacon.  
 Liam chuckled and grabbed himself a bagel. “Define stupid.”  
“Did I dance on the table?”  
“No, you didn’t.” Liam laughed. That was absolutely something drunk Mason did at one point, Liam had been there. “You tried to convince me to marry Theo last night. Immediately. You wanted to be the best man.”  
Mason looked at Liam with his mouth agape at the revelation and then he looked down at Liam’s fingers before he narrowed his eyes. That was the “Mason is on a case”-look. “Did you?”  
“Did I what?” Liam acted innocently.   
“Got married to Theo last night.”  
“Mason,” Liam gave him a lat look, “Do you really think I would get married on the same weekend you planned your wedding? Am I such a bad friend?”  
“No, of course not,” Mason hurried to say. “It’s just...I would understand.”  
“Understand what? That I’m stealing my best friend’s thunder on his wedding weekend?”  
“I know how in love you are and that you want to get married to him!”  
Liam sighed. “Okay, listen. Yes, I am so in love with Theo and I want to marry him one day. But right now I am happy with our relationship status. We are mated, we are happy, that’s all I want right now. No ring needed at this very moment. This is your weekend, that’s another reason. Stop looking at me like you feel sorry for me!”  
Mason just shrugged. “I want you to be as happy as I am.”  
“I am,” Liam assured, “I am happy. Now stop thinking about that and start enjoying your wedding day.” He playfully nudged Mason and the human grinned but then continued to fill his plate with food before he carried it back to their table. Liam followed him after a while and when he sat down again, he dug into his food happily. Theo next to him stole one of the little breakfast muffins Liam had gotten himself and put some more bacon on Liam’s plate.   
“Food sharing is just your thing, huh?” Mike teased them and the Alpha couple just grinned at him. 

******  
The pack split up after breakfast. Mason and Corey enjoyed some couple massages and wellness treatments before their wedding; Sadie and Ever had accompanied them to have a Spa day themselves; the rest of the pack gathered at the hotel pool. It had continuously gotten warmer and the sun was already shining brightly, perfect weather to swim a bit and enjoy the warm sun on your skin while you were relaxing.

Liam dived right into the water and enjoyed swimming through the pool. He liked swimming, the calm of the water and how everything seemed muted while you were underwater. You felt weightless, Liam enjoyed this too. 

He came up and took some breaths while he shook his head and stroked his wet hair out of his eyes. Tim jumped into the water and splashed Liam and the Alpha laughed while he swam to the pool edge. He looked up at Theo who had made himself comfortable on one of the beach chairs and let the sun shine down on his bare torso while he was reading. His boyfriend was wearing nothing but black swim trunks and Liam enjoyed the view.

“Any chance you’re going to join me and the others in the water?” Liam inquired while he stroked his wet hair back with both hands once more. He was propped up on the pool edge to have a better view on Theo and talk to him without floating away again. Theo now lowered his book.  
“Let me finish the chapter, it’s very gripping right now.”   
Liam smiled. “Okay.” He let himself fall backward into the water and turned around underwater to dive through the length of the pool. His Betas had gathered there and were either floating around, swimming a bit or playing around with each other. 

Liam swam a few rounds back and forth, then he joined them. Maya and Tim were challenging each other to see who could stay underwater longer, Nolan and Mike watched them.  
“This is what we needed after everything. Just relaxing, going for a swim, be happy. I’m also very excited about the Wild West resort.” Mike looked at Liam and he nodded.   
“Me too. It will be really fun, the amusement park and all.”  
“The horses.” Tim had submerged again and shook his head like a dog. “It will be fun to go horse riding.”  
“Do you know how to ride a horse?” Mike asked his best friend and Tim nodded.  
“Learned it when I was younger. My sister once wanted to have a horse and I went along with her. She got bored after a while, that’s how the story ends. What about you? Do you know how to ride a horse, Mike?”  
“I had to learn it so I could participate in the polo tournaments my parents’ company was holding. I didn’t sit on the back of a horse for years.”  
“Liam, what about you? I heard something about you and a horse and the Wild Hunt. Tell us the story.” From all the Betas Tim was one of the most eager ones to hear about all the things that went down in Beacon Hills. Liam once asked about it and Tim had replied he wanted to be prepared for whatever the supernatural world had to offer. He also added he admired the Beacon Hills gang for putting up with everything in such young years. 

Liam leaned with his back against the pool wall. “The Ghost Riders had horses to ride in and out of the Wild Hunt. We had lost so many people already and to stop the Wild Hunt from erasing Beacon Hills I decided to jump on one of the horses and ride right into the Hunt. That’s pretty much the story. I’m not the biggest horse fan, I actually hated them since they were too big for my liking.”  
“When he says jump on the horse’s back he means it literally. Flung himself over the banister from the first floor and right onto the animal. When I asked if he had any idea what he was doing he simply replied No.” Theo had joined them and now grinned at his mate. Liam beamed.  
“It worked.”  
“It did luckily. You actually impressed me with that move. I still thought you were a reckless idiot but that was kind of impressive.”   
Liam punched Theo’s shoulder softly. “You were always impressed by me. Don’t lie about it.”  
“Impressed how much you resembled a puppy, yeah. Liam, no!”   
 Liam had gaped at his boyfriend but then grabbed him and dunked him. Theo scrambled and the grabbed Liam to pull him underwater as well. It started a water fight which quickly drew every available pack member in. 

“Okay, okay, stop!” The fight had been raging on for a while before Liam grabbed Theo’s wrist and made him stop.  
The Beta smirked. “Say I won!”  
“You didn’t, I’m calling for a ceasefire.”  
Theo looked at Liam and his eyes wandered over Liam’s whole face. “How am I supposed to resist you when you look so breathtaking? Did your eyes get bluer while you were in the water? What are you? A werewolf or a merman?”  
Liam smirked. “Both,” he answered and winked before he pressed a quick kiss on Theo’s lips and then swam to the edge of the pool to heave himself out of the water. He walked over to their things and grabbed a towel to dry himself off before he laid down on the beach chair and let the sun do the rest. 

His pack was all around him and even Sadie and Ever joined them after a while to sunbathe. Theo had moved next to Liam and continued reading. Liam alternated between listening to his music, enjoy the sun or go for a few more rounds of swimming in the pool. At one point, Nolan and Tim convinced Liam to join them in playing a few rounds of Uno. Theo was still invested in his book and didn’t move when the three of them started to shuffle the cards and began to play.  
“I haven’t played this in a long time,” Liam remembered and gathered his cards. He had loved this game as a little boy, just like his mom. Next time Ilona and David were visiting, they should play it again. 

The three boys laughed a lot during their game and Liam felt lighter than he had in weeks. This weekend surely helped him relax. At one point, he felt Theo wrap his arms around him from behind.  
“Will be right back,” he muttered into Liam’s ear and gently kissed it. Liam turned his head. “Okay,” he replied and kissed Theo’s cheek. Theo smiled and then let go of Liam in favor of walking back to the hotel.   
“Where is he going?” Nolan asked curiously and Liam shrugged.  
“Maybe he’s getting something to drink or he has to use the restroom? Or he’s getting his own music player. I’m sure he’s not leaving us, Nols.”  
“I know that.” Nolan rolled his eyes. “I was just curious. You two are usually inseparable.”   
Liam shrugged again and played a green nine. “He’s his own person and we don’t have to be around each other all the time. Whatever he is doing, it’s fine.”  
Nolan played a red nine. “I wish I had a relationship like that. Where I can be constantly with my boyfriend or my girlfriend without getting on their nerves or them getting on mine.”  
“Oh, Thiam are getting on each other’s nerves. That’s why they fight. But they also need that as some form of their relationship, that’s why they can deal with that,” Mike mocked which caused Liam to grin but say nothing against it. Mike had a point.  
“You will find such a great relationship one day. You’re a great guy and you deserve it. Just wait and see,” he still told Nolan and the hunter smiled at him.  
“Thanks, Li.”

They continued their game for a few more rounds, then returned to swimming or tanning. Liam was relaxing on his beach chair when Theo appeared again. Instead of his swim trunks, he was now wearing his tank top form the morning and jeans. His way led to Liam and he kissed the Alpha’s neck. “Can I steal you away for a bit?”  
Liam made a curious sound but nodded. “Sure thing.” He got to his feet and Theo took his hand in his.   
“Guys, I’m stealing our Alpha for a while,” Theo announced to the pack and led Liam inside again.   
Liam followed happily. “Where are we going?”  
“To our room.”  
“Okay?” Liam had no idea why but the expression on Theo’s face made him realize his boyfriend was determined. 

So he followed Theo until they stopped in front of their room. Theo smiled at him and cupped his face to kiss Liam sweetly, then he unlocked the door. When he looked back at Liam however, he shook his head and grabbed Liam’s shoulders to softly manhandle him in a position right in front of the door.   
Liam laughed. “What are you doing?”

Theo didn’t reply but opened the door and Liam gasped. There were flower petals, mostly in red and white, on the floor, leading into the room and when his boyfriend made an inviting move with his head Liam stepped into the hotel room and followed the petals until he stood in front of the bed. On the bed was a tray with an ice bucket full of ice and a bottle of champagne in it as well as two glasses already filled with the sparkling liquor, also an étagére with chocolate covered strawberries.   
“Oh my god.”  
Liam was overwhelmed. This was so much more than anybody had ever done for him and his heart raced. He could not believe that. “Theo!”  
Theo had closed the door behind them and now walked to where Liam stood. “There is food outside. I ordered room service and let them set it out on the balcony.”   
“You what?” Liam could not believe his ears and walked to the balcony door to peek outside. True to Theo’s words, there were two silver cloches on the table as well as a bottle of water and two glasses. The young Alpha was speechless. His mate had really brought the big guns in. “I have no idea what to say.” He shook his head and looked at Theo. 

The older grabbed the two glasses of champagne and handed one to Liam. “Just say you’re happy, that’s all I want to hear from you.”   
“I am not only happy, I think there needs to be a new word invented to express what I’m feeling right now. This is awesome.” Liam took the glass and clanked it against Theo’s before he stepped closer and kissed his partner deeply. “I love you so much.”  
Theo smiled against his lips. “I love you too.” He pecked Liam’s lips again then pulled away and took a sip of champagne. Liam never really liked that kind of drink but this was far too special to complain and he sipped on his drink as well.

But then he realized something, he was still wearing only his grey swim trunks. “I feel underdressed.”  
Theo laughed. “No need to. I like to watch you like this.” His hand ran over Liam’s chest and down his navel. Liam shivered and blushed.  
“But you’re dressed in actual clothes. Let me get dressed too.” He hurried to grab his clothes from the morning and change into them before he joined Theo outside on the balcony. They stood at the banister and watched the town for a while, Theo with his arms wrapped around Liam’s waist and his chin on Liam’s shoulder. 

“Want to eat?” He asked after a while and nuzzled Liam’s neck. Liam nodded. “Yeah.” He turned his head and pecked Theo’s cheek. They sat down on the table and Liam filled their glasses with water while Theo revealed what was hiding under the cloches.   
A big salad with chicken, a very thoughtful meal given they still had the dinner with the pack before the wedding ceremony. Liam smiled and Theo smiled back. “Enjoy.”  
Oh, Liam would enjoy it, that was for sure. He took his fork and tried some of the salad. It was amazingly fresh and had a very light yet tasteful dressing on top of it. Perfect for such a sunny day. He hummed around the food in his mouth and raised his thumb to indicate he was liking it. Theo himself seemed pleased with his choice as well and happily ate his own salad. 

Now, Liam was well aware most people would say a romantic date had to happen during the evening, should have candlelight, a romantic restaurant, some music, but to Liam, this was pretty damn perfect. Theo had outdone himself and Liam loved him even more now that he thought could be possible.   
“This is something I surely didn’t expect when you guided me back to our room. How did you manage to make all this happen? Did you plan it?” The young Alpha asked after they finished their salads. Theo reached over the table and laced their hands together.   
“It was quite spontaneous, to be honest, but the hotel helped a lot. Truly awesome people work here.” Theo shrugged. “I wanted to prove I am romantic as well.”  
Liam laughed amusedly. “That really bothers you, what? It was a joke, baby. I'm surely not the most romantic person either.”  
“But compared to you and what you already did, it seemed like I wasn’t romantic at all. So yes, it bugged me!”

It seemed like a delicate topic for Theo and Liam frowned. He stroked over Theo’s hand with his thumb. “Hey, calm down. I know you are romantic. I love all this but I don’t need it to feel loved and cherished and know you are romantic.”  
Theo blinked and pulled his hand away. “I don’t like it when it feels like you’re missing something in this relationship. I had to do something.” He rose to his feet and paced, then he stepped into the room again. Liam’s frown increased and he followed his boyfriend.   
“I’m not missing anything from this relationship, what are you even talking about?”  
Theo ran a hand through his hair and made distressed sounds. Liam felt immensely sorry though he had no idea how he could help him right now.   
“I want to give you everything, so you’re not laking anything. You should have everything your heart desires in this relationship and when you say you’re missing something or you joke about me not being something, I get scared,” Theo finally blurted out.

Liam looked at him and his brain slowly pieced together what Theo was actually saying. “You’re still afraid I will leave one day. That I will wake up and tell you I’m over loving you, that I will end things between us,” he realized. Theo said nothing but hung his head and refused to look at Liam. But their mating bond pulsed and made Liam feel the fear radiating from his mate. He stepped closer to Theo. “Theo, look at me, please.”

Theo refused for a few more moments but then he raised his head. Tears were in his eyes and Liam’s heart hurt seeing his other half look so lost and broken. “I have flaws, so many flaws. I know I am broken and you’re not. You are so good and true, I am scared you will wake up and realize one day you can’t love somebody like me for the rest of your life. That you deserve someone better, which you undoubtedly do. I’m not enough.” The former chimera’s voice was shaking and soft as if he was afraid to speak too loud and make his fears come true. The tears were now streaming down his face and the lost look on his face intensified.

Liam stepped closer and grabbed Theo’s face with both hands when his boyfriend wanted to look away again. “Theo, you are my mate, the love of my life. I will never wake up and think you’re not good enough for me or that there is someone better. Never.” Tears stung in his own eyes due to hearing his boyfriend talk about himself like that. Nothing was further from the truth. “I love you, have never loved anyone more than you, and I want to grow old with you. You make me the happiest man on this planet just by being with me. There is so much love inside you, you have so much to give, and you say you’re broken but you are not. We all have flaws, that is what being human is all about. You’re not worse than anybody else. You changed. After everything, you found the power to change, I am so proud of you because of that.” 

He shook his head while he leaned his forehead against Theo’s and Liam swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I wish there was a way to convince you I mean everything like I said it right now. To make you believe I am in for the long run and you have me forever.” He smiled weakly. “I would marry you right now, just to prove it to you.”  
“Mason would kill you,” Theo said in a small voice. “It’s not worth fighting with your friend over.”  
“Theo,” Liam stroked his cheeks with his thumbs, “you are worth anything. Even fighting with Mason and that you don’t want me to fight with him shows how much you care.”

They looked at each other. “I love you, Theo Raeken. Tell me what I can do to make you believe I’m not leaving you.”  
The twenty-two-year-old raised his shoulders. “I know you mean it. Most times. But then my insecurities come along and it all goes down from there. I get scared it all will end because I’m not enough for you.”  
“You are everything to me,” Liam reminded Theo. “I know how you feel, I get afraid sometimes too. Because I am also under the impression you could do better than me.”  
“Never.” Theo shook his head. Liam smiled softly.  
“Okay, I believe you. We’re working on helping each other understand there is nobody better for us than the other. We do it together, like the team that we are, okay?”  
Theo’s laugh was wet from the tears but he nodded. “Okay.” He put his hands on Liam’s back and held him close while he kissed Liam. And Liam gladly returned the kiss. They both had been crying so it tasted salty but also perfect, just like every other kiss they shared and would share in the future.

They broke the sweet kiss and Theo looked away to wipe the tears away. “I am sorry for getting so emotional. Don’t know what came over me all of sudden.”  
Liam grabbed Theo’s chin and made him look at him again. “It’s okay. I like this side of you, the soft and emotional one. It is important you don’t feel like you have to hide it from me.”  
Theo smiled tentatively and Liam smiled back. He wiped the remaining tears away from Theo’s face and then wiped his own tears away. “You look beautiful, even when you’re crying.”  
Theo’s laugh was still not as full as it usually was but it was getting there again. It made Liam happy and he hugged Theo tightly, buried his face in the crook of Theo’s neck. Theo wrapped his arms around him again and they held each other as close as possible.   
“I love you,” Theo whispered after a while and Liam raised his head.  
“I love you too.”   
They kissed again and then Theo sat on the foot of the bed and pulled Liam on his lap. 

Liam reached over and grabbed a strawberry from the tray to hold it against Theo’s lips. Theo looked him in the eye and then opened his lips so Liam could feed him the fruit. He chewed thoughtfully and Liam grinned.  
“Tasty?”  
“Sweet, yes.” Theo took another strawberry and held it up for Liam to eat. “I guess, we became that couple, huh? The one that feeds each other.”  
“We became that couple,” Liam confirmed while he chewed and licked his lips to clean it from any remains of the sweet treat. Theo grinned and pulled Liam into a kiss to lick his lips as well.   
“Tastes even sweeter when I can lick it from your lips.”   
Liam smiled and wrapped his arms around Theo’s neck to kiss him lovingly. Their kiss was still sweet from the strawberries and he could not help but suck on Theo’s lip. Theo moaned softly and pulled Liam even closer to his body.

Liam moved during their kisses so he could straddle Theo’s lap and sit in an even better position to deepen the kisses. He kissed Theo’s lips and then moved to his neck to lick and suck there. Theo moaned softly and tilted his head. Liam smirked and continued to tease his boyfriend with his tongue.

Theo mewled and pulled at Liam’s clothes and Liam stop kissing him to raise his arms and help Theo pull his shirt over his head. Theo’s shirt followed Liam’s to the floor and then Liam just got up from Theo’s lap to shrug off his jeans. Theo watched him with dark eyes and Liam could not contain himself and stroked the outline of his hard cock through his boxers. Theo whined lowly and hastily undressed as well until he was fully naked. Liam tossed him the lube.   
“Prepare yourself, baby,” he instructed and watched his mate nod and open the bottle of lube to pour a generous amount on his fingers. Liam grabbed his champagne glass and knelt on the bed to admire his boyfriend’s body writhing on the bed. His hand stroked Theo’s biceps and over his abs and he smiled. “You’re gorgeous and I can’t believe you’re all mine.” The young Alpha leaned down and bit down on Theo’s pec to mark him. Theo gasped loudly and arched up while he still continued to finger himself open for Liam. 

The younger man himself licked over Theo’s nipple and teased it with his tongue, completely lost in his mission to worship Theo’s body and show his partner how much he meant to Liam and that Liam would never leave him. Goosebumps ran down Theo’s arms and Liam ran his hand over Theo’s left arm before he laced their fingers together. Theo squeezed it and gasped again when he moved his fingers inside him.   
“Think you’re prepared enough?” Liam muttered and looked into Theo’s dark eyes. They were flickering between green and gold and his wolf preened at his mate looking so debauched already, flushed cheeks and all. Theo now nodded and pulled his fingers out. Liam smiled and kissed him.  
“I love you, T.”  
“I love you too,” Theo replied quietly and nudged Liam’s nose with his. “I’m ready for you, baby.”  
“Oh, I know you are.” Liam lubed up his cock and moved between Theo’s leg to slowly push into his partner. They both sighed at the feeling and Liam stayed still for a few moments to give them both time to get used to it. It would be over way too fast otherwise. When he then started to move he moaned and squeezed Theo’s hand. “You feel so good!”  
Theo smiled back at him and pulled Liam into a deep kiss where he licked into Liam’s mouth and let their tongues meet. Liam’s hips moved in a slow motion all the time, fucked Theo nice and slow and just like they both wanted it right now. 

When the need to breathe became too much, Liam pulled away from the kiss and grabbed the champagne glass. He tipped it slightly and let some of the liquor pour on Theo’s upper body. The unexpected feeling made Theo mewl again and then he moaned loudly when Liam’s tongue followed the champagne and licked up every drop of spilled alcohol.   
“You’re going to be the death of me one day, my naughty little Alpha.” Theo laughed breathlessly and Liam chuckled before he repeated his action from before and poured more champagne over Theo’s chest. Some drops of melted water had dripped from the glass and ran down Theo’s neck and Liam let his tongue trace the wet path. His hips never stopped thrusting into Theo and Theo’s hands roamed over his back, his nails scratched over Liam’s shoulder blades and he wrapped his legs around his Alpha to pull him as deep as possible. 

They moaned and panted and together with their raised heartbeats it created a beautiful soundtrack for minutes, at least to Liam’s ears. He felt insanely good and he smiled fondly at his mate when he leant his foreheads against Theo’s. “You are mine and I don’t give up what’s mine, never forget that, okay?” He reminded Theo.  
Theo groaned and nodded. “Yes, Alpha, I know. I am yours. You’re mine too, right?”  
“Of course I am,” Liam confirmed and pressed his lips against Theo’s. He gasped when Theo’s hold on him tightened and pulled him even deeper into the tight heat. it was all he needed to come and spill inside Theo. Theo’s own cock was leaking between them and suddenly shot his own load between the two of them. Liam snuggled close on top of Theo and his mate wrapped his arms around him and kissed Liam’s temple.   
“Thank you for loving me,” he whispered.  
Liam hummed. “I could say the same. Thank **you** for loving **me**.”  
He felt Theo’s smile more than he saw it but the happiness thrumming through their mating bond was enough. 

The young Alpha pulled out and rolled off his mate sometime later and when he checked the clock he realized they had been in bed longer than he thought. They had been so lost in each other it was like only a few minutes but in reality, they had been going for longer than just a few minutes. Theo still snuggled closer to Liam when they laid next to each and looked at the ceiling. 

“Mike asked if we could install a gym in the basement of the house, you know? A sandbag, treadmill, all the stuff you need for a good workout. The pack surely would like that. What do you say?”  
It was a good idea to have a small gym on their own. Being a pack of werewolves had always someone needing to burn off some extra energy and that way nobody would give them funny looks for beings let’s say overly enthusiastic.   
“Good idea, we will put it on the list for the things to do in the house. Ever plans on laying out a herb garden,” Liam agreed with the idea.  
“She does? Okay, makes sense for her potions. We could make a garden as well. With Apple trees of other stuff, vegetables, I know you like to cook with fresh ingredients.”  
Liam chuckled. “I now have the mental image of you building a greenhouse for me.”  
“If that would make you happy.” Theo kissed Liam’s cheek.  
“You make me happy.” The reply came instantly and Theo just chortled.   
“I know, Liam. So do you.”

They fell silent for a bit but then Theo raised his right arm. “I’m thinking about getting another tattoo.”  
“Yeah? Already thought about what kind of tattoo?” Liam was very interested in that. Chilling in bed with Theo and just talking about each and everything was nice and he knew it was easier for Theo to share his deepest thoughts and wishes in this surrounding rather than in passing or when somebody else might overhear them. He was working on opening up but until he was there, Liam was fine with how things were at the moment.   
“I’m not sure yet, there are so many great ideas and I haven’t found the time to go into the topic how I wanted, but the idea came up a few weeks ago.”  
Liam kissed Theo’s temple and nosed at it. “I could help you find a fitting motif? Like if I see something I think could fit you, I could show you.”  
Theo smiled and turned his head to kiss Liam lovingly. “I would love that. Thank you, baby.”  
“Anything for you, Dore”

******  
“Nervous?” Liam asked Mason after his best friend put on his suit jacket and inspected himself in the mirror. Liam and Mason were getting ready in Morey’s room while Corey had moved to Thiam’s room to get ready with Theo. The two grooms had claimed they wanted to be surprised by each other’s looks. And Liam realized again he had taken over the pack’s tradition of calling the couples by their couple name, that’s what his pack was doing to him. 

Mason now exhaled loudly. “I am super-excited but also so nervous. I can’t believe it’s finally happening. Incredible.”  
He turned around and smiled at Liam but then reached out and helped his best friend tie his black tie. When Mason was done, he grinned. “I’m getting married, Lee.”  
Liam laughed and leaned his head against his best friend’s. “You are and it’s going to be wonderful.”

He checked his own reflection and then looked at his watch. “Few more minutes until we meet the others. Have everything?”  
Mason counted on his fingers. “Sadie gave me a handkerchief, that’s something new. I am wearing socks I got since I was fifteen, that counts as something old. Tim borrowed me his watch, I also have that covered. Only thing I’m missing is something blue.”

“I have something blue. It’s not baby blue but I don’t think that matters. Blue is blue, right?” Liam pulled a small sack out of his pocket. It was made from brown leather and he now pulled a dark blue leather bracelet out of it. The bracelet was artfully braided and had three charms hand from it. One silver wolf, one silver plate with the Morning Dew Pack symbol on it, one silver plate with Liam’s symbol on it. “Shana gave this to me after I became an Alpha and I had my symbol made and added later on. Just like every Alpha chooses their symbol, they also choose their emissary. True to the pack’s philosophy that the next Alpha doesn’t have to accept the emissary of the former Alpha just like that but actually have a say in this as well. It is common in the pack to have two emissaries where the old one teaches the new emissary everything. The Alpha and the emissary have to work closely together and they have to trust each other without so much of a second thought. The emissary is an essential part of the pack. I know Ever’s our shaman and we talked about this unofficially but I’m asking you officially, do you want to be my pack’s emissary, Mason?”

Mason was speechless and that didn’t happen as often as you might think. He gaped at Liam and the bracelet and then tears welled up in his eyes. “Oh my god, Liam!” He took the bracelet in his hands. “You’re right, we said I’m the emissary in training all the time but it is so different to be asked officially. Yes, yes! I will be your emissary.”  
He threw his arms around Liam and the young Alpha laughed and hugged him back. “Thank you, Mase. There is no one I rather trust more with this than you.” He had tears in his eyes as well and when they finally broke their hug he helped Mason put the bracelet on and then he wiped them away. He held out his arm for Mason to link his arm with.

“Shall we, Emissary?”  
“We shall, Alpha.”

The two friends left the hotel room and made their way towards the elevators. There they met Theo and Corey. The soon-to-be-wed couple looked at each other and it was really cute to see how their eyes sparkled.   
“You look gorgeous,” Corey praised. He was wearing a light grey suit and his white dress shirt underneath had a color in the same color as Mason’s tie.   
“So do you.” Mason beamed and stole a kiss from Corey before he took his hand and they stepped into the elevator.

Liam smirked and it was only then that he noticed how Theo looked at him. “What?”  
Theo had a calculating look on his face while his green eyes traveled over Liam’s outfit. “All black and no suit, huh?”  
“I can’t pull off a suit. You’re not wearing one either. I also like the color.” Theo wore a dark blue suit jacket with a white dress shirt underneath and dark pants.  
“You could pull off anything if you had to. But you look amazing.” He kissed Liam’s forehead and pulled him into the elevator. Liam smiled and squeezed his mate’s hand. “You always look amazing but especially tonight.”

They took the elevator until they reached the floor the chapel was located on and then met the rest of the core pack for a glass of champagne before dinner. “There you are. Wow, you look amazing.” Sadie was happy and took many pictures of Corey and Mason before the hotel photographer shooed her away and took over. He took pictures of the reception and then left the group alone for some talking time before the food arrived. 

“Guys, before I forgot: Liam officially asked me to become the emissary!” Mason suddenly called out and showed them the bracelet he was wearing. The Betas laughed.  
“We know,” they all told Mason and he looked as surprised as Corey. “Liam asked all of us what we think of it and the answer was clear immediately. We just didn’t tell you, Corey, because you already had a lot on your mind for the wedding,” Maya explained and the surprise on Corey’s face turned into a fond expression. He reached out and squeezed Mason’s arm.   
“That’s what you always wanted. Congratulations, baby.”

Liam stepped forward and gently took Mason by the shoulder to move him next to Ever. “So, Emissary and Shaman.”   
Ever smiled and raised her arm to show she was wearing the same bracelet Mason was wearing but hers was a rich green. Mason smiled back at her and nodded and she returned the nod. 

Liam looked at Theo. “What do you say, T?”  
“I say they look fine but there is something missing. Just like you said it would when we talked about it.”  
“Missing? What could possibly be missing?” Corey asked irritated.  
The mated couple shared a look with their Betas and smirked. Liam shrugged casually.   
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe a consultant? Somebody who sees things from different angles and is the common sense we need in this pack. Someone who combines Mason’s logical thinking with Ever’s emotional thinking. Who finds a common ground and always knows advice.”   
Ever giggled and nodded. She also knew what was going on but Mason and Corey were still at loss. Until Theo handed Liam another little leather sack and Liam pulled out a bracelet that looked like the other two but was a soft earthy-red tone.   
“Corey, I would like to officially ask you to become the pack’s consultant. For all the reasons we just said and for so many other things.”   
The only surviving chimera stared at Liam with his mouth agape and only when Mason reached out and pushed his jaw back up, he moved and let out a series of strangled noises.  
“That’s Corey language for yes, I would say,” Mason translated and laughed when Corey nodded eagerly and accepted the bracelet from Liam. Right before he tackled the Alpha in a bone-crushing hug.   
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”  
Liam chuckled and hugged Corey back. “You’re welcome. Nobody would be a better consultant than you.”

This highly emotional but also very heartwarming beginning of the night was probably the best wedding gift the pack could give Corey and Mason. Both had declared they didn’t want any gifts from their pack mates but this was so much more than a simple wedding gift. It showed them they really had a place in the pack, even though they had not been there when the pack formed in the first place. They belonged and to make sure they knew that was important.

Dinner was spent with happy chatter and they all enjoyed the tasty food the hotel offered to them. They laughed a lot and it was a truly easy atmosphere but the further they got to the wedding, the more excited and nervous Mason and Corey got. It wasn’t a bad feeling, they were positively nervous and had sweaty hands (Liam saw Mason wipe his hands on his pants more than once) and when it was finally time for the marriage ceremony, their hearts beat wildly.

The officiant welcomed them all while the pack took their places. Theo was in charge of the rings after he teased Liam would lose them and Liam had given him the finger for that but said nothing further. That way Liam could watch his best friend and his soon-to-be-husband stood in front of the officiant, share looks full of love, and listen to the words of the officiant. The guy had a warm and melodic voice and he talked about the importance of having someone to share your life with, make your happy, and help you through hardships. Liam’s eyes searched for Theo’s and he smiled at his mate. Theo smiled back and Liam was pretty positive they both thought the same thing. They had found that with each other and there was no way they would let the other go. Theo now winked at Liam and Liam smiled softly. 

“At this time, before proceeding with the bonding ceremony, I would invite the couple to share their vows,” the officiant said. “Mason Hewitt, would you like to start?”  
Mason smiled at Corey and took his hands in his. “When I first met you I was immediately drawn to you and my eyes kept searching for you everytime I was around you. In a crowded room, I saw you, even if you didn’t want to be seen.” The pack chuckled when he gave a nod to Corey’s power. “And over the time you became so much more than just somebody I liked to see. You became my reason to smile, you became the reason to go through with whatever life was throwing me, us, because I always knew I had you. It was said before but it is true: You are the perfect counterpart to my logical mind and I am so happy I found you when I wasn’t really looking for you. I love you so much, Corey.”

Liam knew his eyes were shining with tears but he was just so happy for his best friend and so touched by Mason’s words. His best friend was so in love and he had the perfect partner with Corey.   
The officiant handed Mason a tissue and Mason dried his eyes and then it was Corey’s turn to say his vows.

Corey smiled so widely and he squeezed Mason’s hands. “I found you when I least expect it, when I wasn’t looking for you. I’ve been through some rough times and even when everything seemed to be against us being together, we found a way to make it work. Nothing could keep us apart and no matter what happened, you always looked at me like I was the best that ever happened to you. And over the time we spent together, you became my partner, Mason. My partner for everything and I love you so much for it. You care about me, you gave me a home in you and I’m a strong believer that fate brought us together. I am happy it did because with you I found my happiness. You are my love, Mason.”

Sadie let out a sob and when Liam looked over she was crying as well as Ever, Tim, and Nolan. Mike gave them all a quite surprised look but then pulled out a package of tissues and handed them over. Liam bit back a grin at the pack’s reactions but he also understood them. It was a touching ceremony. 

The officiant now moved to the next part. “Mason Hewitt, do you take Corey Bryant as your cherished husband, in front of these witnesses, and promise to stay by his side through sickness and health, joy and sorrow, so long as you both shall live?”  
Mason nodded. “I do,” he said loud and clear.  
“Corey Bryant, will you take Mason Hewitt as your cherished husband, in front of these witnesses, and promise to stay by his side through sickness and health, joy and sorrow, so long as you both shall live?”  
Corey was crying as well now but he nodded when he wiped his eyes. “I do.”

Theo stepped forward and held the rings out. The officiant nodded. “The wedding rings perfectly symbolize the never-ending love you two have for each other. By exchanging these rings, you solidify a lifelong commitment to one another. The rings serve as a welcome and constant reminder of the bond you've formed with your partner. Please repeat after me: I, Mason Hewitt, give you, Corey Bryant this ring as a symbol of my enduring love. Just as the circle of the ring completes itself, so you complete me. I, Corey Bryant, give you, Mason Hewitt this ring as a symbol of my enduring love. Just as the circle of the ring completes itself, so you complete me.”

Corey, as well as Mason, happily repeated the words and shared a very happy and loving glance before exchanging rings. The tears were still there but nobody cared at this moment. As long as they were happy tears, everything was okay.

“Mason Hewitt and Corey Bryant, by the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I am pleased to pronounce you husband and husband, sealed together today both in law and in love. Mason Hewitt, you may kiss the groom! ”

 And Mason didn’t need to be told twice. He wrapped his arms around Corey and kissed him as if his life depended on it while the pack jumped to their feet and clapped happily. Liam cheered enthusiastically, as loud as he could. It still felt unreal to know Mason and Corey were married now but it was amazing at the same time. So many emotions right now, it was almost making Liam dizzy. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I now have the privilege of presenting for the first time Mr. and Mr. Mason and Corey Bryant.”

The now married couple happily walked down the aisles while the Betas threw rice at them. Liam and Theo followed behind them and gladly accepted the second glass of champagne the hotel was serving. Liam watched the two husbands receive wishes and hugs from his pack and his wolf was happy inside him. His pack was celebrating, they were all happy an content, he was a proud Alpha at the moment.

Theo leaned in. “Yes,” he whispered into Liam’s ear.  
“Yes?” Liam gave him a curious look. “Yes to what?”  
“To open a bakery and a coffee shop with you. Corey’s right about being partners and all. You are my partner in every aspect of my life and if I can work with somebody it’s you.”  
The young Alpha let Theo’s words sink in and then he laughed. “Theo, that is wonderful. I am so happy.” He wrapped his arms around Theo’s neck and kissed him with all his heart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me some time to write this chapter but here it is now. I hope you guys, all my wonderful readers, are still interested in this and you enjoyed this chapter as much as the others. They are finally married, I feel like a proud mom right now. And regarding the name, I played around with what sounded better to me I decided on Bryant in the end. What would have been your choice? Tell me in the comments.  
> And as always: Share with me your comments, wishes, hopes, dreams, opinions for this story.  
> Love you all <3


	42. Departure and Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The core pack leaves Las Vegas and starts their vacation at the Wild West resort. Ever and Liam have a heartfelt talk and so do Liam and Theo.

Liam twisted the room card between his fingers when he made his way through the lobby and towards the reception. Theo was already there, checking out for them both, the pack had gathered at one of the seating areas around the hall. 

“The second card should be here any moment, my boyfriend still has it.” He heard Theo say when he stepped up to him.   
“Here’s the second card. Thank you so much for everything, it was a great stay.” He smiled at the receptionist and Theo and the older sneaked one arm around his waist and also kissed Liam’s cheek. The receptionist gathered the room cards and thanked them for everything before she handed them their invoice and dismissed them. 

Liam carried his bag over to his pack and looked at them. Mason and Corey were in a love seat together, making out, and generally being lost to the world. The joys of being newlyweds. He was positive him and Theo had not been better after their mating and they would not be better when they finally got married too. 

“Guys, where’s Tim?”  
Liam had pulled his attention away from Morey in the corner and surveyed his other pack members. The only one missing was Tim.   
“He’s using the public restroom down here but should be back any minute,” Mike explained without missing a beat. The two always knew where the other was. Sadie often called it co-dependency but then, she also knew where Maya and Ever were most of the time (Maya even more than Ever).   
“Okay, good.” Liam nodded, satisfied with the answer, but he still kept looking around every now and then, making sure nobody else was leaving the group. He wasn’t tense but he watched his pack like an Alpha should. 

“Hey, guys, sorry for letting you wait.” Tim had finally come back and joined the group again.   
“That’s fine, Liam was just asking about your whereabouts but aside from that we lived with you being gone for a few minutes,” Mike explained. Tim looked really startled.  
“You asked?” He questioned Liam, still a very surprised look on his face.  
“Duh. I want to know where my pack is,” Liam explained but then brushed it off and grabbed his bag. “Let’s go, we have a flight to catch. Are you sure nobody left something in their room?”

 He waited for everyone to get up from their seats and grabbed their bags, made sure nobody left anything behind, and only then shooed them out.   
“And there he is again: Kindergartner Liam.” Maya chuckled at that and the Betas happily affirmed that Liam indeed acted like one.   
“Now, where’s the glitter?” Mason asked with a devious smile directed at Theo and the one addressed gave him the finger.   
“Screw you, Bryant, Liam and glitter will never get together again!”  
“Aww, he called you Bryant!” Corey’s eyes shimmered happily and he beamed at his husband. Mason beamed back and kissed him shortly. They had their honeymoon phase going on, without a doubt.   
“Guys, talking is fine but if you stop walking while doing so we will surely miss the flight!” Liam reminded his Betas and ushered them to the waiting transfer car.   
“Kindergartner! Kindergartner!” The Betas chanted and got in the car. Liam rolled his eyes but then he had to laugh.   
“You all are crazy and secretly five-years-olds. Someone has to babysit you.”  
“Let’s be real, you’re our pack dad,” Maya chimed in and laughed.  
“Again, Liam being the dad means Theo’s the mom.”  
“You can all go fuck yourselves,” Theo laughed from his seat next to Liam but put an arm around the Alpha and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Darling, can we exchange our kids here? Find some new ones, some with better manners?” He asked teasingly and the pack eagerly started to protest.  
“You love us too much to leave us behind, T!” 

******  
“Your bag looks so innocent but it is fucking heavy!” Liam complained when he heaved it out of the car. Sadie simply flicked her hair back and grabbed the handle from her bag.   
“You’re just not strong enough,” she simply remarked, turned around and pulled her bag after her.    
“Hey, Sadie, wait, don’t stray too far from the group!” Liam grabbed his own bag, thanked the driver, and then ushered his whole group into the airport building, following Sadie. “Theo, which gate?”  
“Gate 7, that didn’t change after the last time you asked me that five minutes ago. Or that one time before.” Theo gave him a pointed look while he answered slowly. 

Liam refrained from rolling his eyes at himself. He noticed he had been asking this question several times since they drove away from the hotel but somehow he always forgot the answer. Just like he had been searching for his phone during the car ride, pretty sure he had lost it in the hotel until Theo pulled it out from Liam’s jacket pocket and held it out for the hectic Alpha without saying a word. He didn’t have to, his glance said enough. His boyfriend was seriously worried about Liam’s mental state on this nice, cloudless morning. And right now he was giving Liam the same look as he had done in the car. 

“For real, what’s up with you this morning, Lee? Are you still drunk from last night’s wedding celebration?” Mason inquired. He had one arm slung around Corey’s shoulders and the couple watched them as curious as the rest of the gang.  
Maya shook her head. “Liam can’t be drunk. He didn’t touch one alcoholic drink last night.”  
“What? Really?” Mason looked baffled. “I thought you only chose something non-alcoholic for the first round but then joined us.”  
Liam shrugged. “I don’t see the big deal. Didn’t feel like drinking last night, so what? I don’t have to drink to have fun with my friends and celebrate. It was a fun night, even without alcohol.”  
“It’s just surprising because usually, you have no problem with drinking. Didn’t you feel well last night? Should have said something. Alpha or not, you can tell us these things. Especially me, I’m your best friend.”  
“You make me sound like an alcoholic. And no, I was feeling fine. No complaints.”  
“Not what I meant.” Mason shook his head.  
Liam huffed. “I know.” He went for a forgiving smile and nodded at the airport hall. “Come on, let’s find our gate. Seven, right? This time I remembered.”  
“I’m proud of you, darling,” Theo muttered while the whole group finally made their way into the building and searched for their gate. 

After they found the right one and sat down in the waiting area until they could board the plane, Liam left his bag with Theo and the others. “Getting myself a coffee, somebody wants something as well?”

Nobody aside from Theo reacted and Theo shook his head so Liam gently kissed his cheek which caused Theo to smile softly. And then Liam made his way over to the coffee stand to order himself some freshly brewed stuff. He got it soon after and was stirring it on a side table when Ever stepped to the cart and brought herself some tea before she stepped next to Liam.

“You feel it too, right?” She casually asked while she poured some sugar into her tea. “That something is coming.”  
Liam turned his head, a caught expression on his face. The witch was completely right, he felt something. “You too?”  
“I feel it like Celia died and I think you feel it too because your Alpha spark was also involved.”   
“It feels like a crackle in the air,” Liam admitted. “Any theories?”  
“When Celia used your spark to call the powerful demon into our world, she probably opened a portal, a door, to another dimension or whatever and I’m pretty sure something came through this opening. It’s not exactly a science and even under witches is quite a discussion about what exactly is around us. They all agree that there might be other worlds or planes but nobody knows what kind of planes we’re talking about here.”  
“So you're basically saying that now are even more demons into this world than before?”  
Ever shook her head. “I’m not sure if those somethings are demons. It doesn’t feel like a threat. It feels like a thunderstorm; when you know it’s coming but it’s not there yet. It gets a bit darker, a bit colder, wind freshens up, but there is no rain yet, no thunder or lightning. Or do you feel like it’s a threat?”  
Liam shrugged. “Not yet, I don’t know. Right now, it feels like you described it, you expect the storm to hit but it’s not there yet.” He sipped his coffee and deliberately swallowed. “All I know is that I wake up in the middle of the night, not from a nightmare, but I wake up and I feel this crackle. My wolf is awake and looks out for anything remotely suspicious.”  
“That’s the reason you’re so rattled this morning. Your mind is more occupied with making sure the pack stays together than actually remembering such petty things as gate numbers. The reason you didn’t drink last night. Your instincts told you to keep an eye on your pack and an eye out for whatever is coming; you can’t do that when you’re drunk.”  
It was the reason even if Liam had not admitted it to himself. Something had just told him he needed to have a clear head. He nodded and Ever sighed.  
Looking over to the pack, she sighed again and then looked at Liam. “Do we tell them?”

Liam looked at his pack as well. Sadie and Maya sat next to each other, each having an earbud in their ear and shared their music, Theo, Mike, and Tim were goofing around with a luggage cart and laughed all the way, Nolan sat there and read a magazine, Morey were making out again.   
”No, we keep it between us for now. Unless we know what’s coming, there’s no use in upsetting the apple cart. And you don’t worry too much yourself, okay? That’s my job.” He smiled at Ever and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. She hugged him.  
“Whatever happens, please don’t almost die again, okay, big brother?” She whispered and Liam hugged her back.   
“I promise.”

******  
Liam looked out of the window and marveled at how small the world looked beneath the plane. Theo had left the window seat to Liam and had taken the other one; probably because he already knew he would fall asleep shortly after they took off. Whatever the reason had been, Theo was sleeping now, head rested on Liam’s shoulder. Liam now turned his head and watched his boyfriend with a fond smile. He kissed Theo’s forehead, then he turned his head back towards the window and enjoyed the view.

“Can’t wait for the resort, Liam.”  
Tim sat in the row in front of Liam and now leaned over his seat so he could see Liam properly and talk to him.   
“Me neither. It will be great.” Liam smiled softly. “Hey, have you talked to your mom lately?” The relationship between Tim and the rest of his family was something Liam would probably never fully understand but then again - when he looked at his own begetter - who was he to judge?

Tim looked unsure how to really answer. “We talk but she always makes it very clear she didn’t like how I talked to her when she visited for Christmas.”  
“What about your dad? You still talk every week, right?”  
“Yep.” Tim nodded and looked happier now. “He really tries to understand me better, even though we still haven’t found that one hobby we both like. I’m just not good at sports and he doesn’t like books.”  
“If you want my advice, don’t put too much pressure on finding that one thing you both like. When my mom and my dad met he tried to connect with me over various things until we both realized we liked lacrosse. Then it came naturally.”  
Tim smiled. “Thank you, Liam, I will remember that. But it’s good we talk, at least, you know? I feel like he cares about me and this is a very good feeling.”  
“I am sure your mother cares deeply about you as well, she probably just has a hard time expressing it.  Anyway, you get a great relationship with your dad out of it and that’s awesome.”

“Hm..” Tim considered his words. “Have you ever thought of looking for your biological father? I know what he did to you but maybe he changed over the years? People can change, right?”  
Liam swallowed. This was a touchy subject but Tim was softspoken and Liam knew he didn’t mean any harm. “Some people do but I highly doubt Emmet is one of them. Last time I saw him was the day my mother and he got divorced, he turned around and walked away as if I simply don’t exist. He never reached out to me, guess he was happy his weakling of a son left.”  
“You’re not weak!” Tim protested softly and Liam shrugged.  
“Not anymore but I didn’t know that back then. But that’s not important anymore. What matters is I really don’t have any motivation to search out Emmet Dunbar and talk with him again. I still resent what he did to us and frankly, I don’t know if I could ever forgive him. He has to have changed real good and basically became a saint for me to even consider letting him back in my life.”   
“I understand that. Still, your father is clearly missing out. You are great.”  
“Thanks, Timmy.” Liam smiled at his Beta and Tim smiled back cutely before he plopped down on his seat and pulled out a comic to read. 

Liam went back to look out of the window and let his mind wander. It was a soft atmosphere right now, something quiet and sleepy, the underlying excitement of their holiday not evident at the moment. The calm before the storm in the most positive way possible. 

The soft sensation of fingertips dancing up and down his arm made him turn his head suddenly. Theo had woken up and ran his fingers up and down his Alpha’s arm.   
“You’ve been quiet.”  
“I’m fine.” Liam shook his head to dissolve Theo’s worries immediately.   
“Tired?” Theo didn’t seem to be having it and inquired further.  
“Dore, I just told you, I am really fine.”  
“Well, you should not be fine, you should be absolutely-intergalactic-awesome-sauce.”  
Liam laughed and made a questioning face. “What? You made that up just now!”

Theo smirked and gently poked Liam’s cheek with his index finger. “There it is. The beautiful smile on your face. I love seeing you happy and if I have to invent words for that, I will.”  
“Okay, now you’re being sappy.” Liam rolled his eyes in mock-annoyance but he secretly (and maybe not so secretly) loved it. Theo grinned and pulled him in for a kiss on the cheek.   
“But if you want to make sure I feel...better than fine...you can continue with your caressing of my arm.” Liam grinned and leaned his head against Theo’s. “That felt nice.”  
Theo hummed and continued to run his fingers up and down Liam’s arm. Goosebumps followed his touches. “You really like that, hm?” Theo realized.  
“It’s relaxing, yeah. Who doesn’t like soft touches from their beloved partner?”  
Theo said nothing to Liam’s explanation but turned his head and placed a gentle kiss on Liam’s shoulder. He never stopped caressing Liam’s arm for the rest of the flight either. 

******  
"We can go kayaking, fishing, horse riding obviously, they even offer hay rides. Guys, who is willing to bet we will find one of the couples in the hay having fun?” Liam had no idea how she managed but somehow Maya got her hands on a pamphlet about the various activities at the resort and was now reading out loud.   
“That bet is boring. Rather bet on who we will catch first,” Mike suggested.  
Maya tilted her head from one side to the other while she thought this over. “Okay, fair point. Which couple will be the first to have fun in the hay? I say Thiam!”  
Theo glanced in the rearview mirror. “Hey, miss nature spirit back there, careful what you’re betting on!”  
Liam in the passenger seat grinned. “Yeah, that bet is mean, you realize that?” He said and handed twenty bucks over to Maya. “My bet’s on our newlyweds.”

She grinned and pocketed it the money after she also received some from Mike (”Morey for sure!”) and Sadie (”Thiam. Don’t look at me like that, T, you know it’s true!”). Theo glanced at Liam and scoffed.   
“What? I betted for the two of us.”  
“You betted against us,” Theo reminded him.  
“I’m aware. We are more sneaky than them.”   
The Betas in the backseat applauded at their Alpha’s answer and Theo laughed loudly. “True that.”  
“But they can turn invisible,” Sadie chimed in.  
“So? We hear you guys coming,” Liam replied.  
“Yeah, but only if you are not too focused on coming yourself. Okay, that one was lame, I admit. No need to make fun of me!” Maya raised her hands in surrender before somebody could even say something. Her fellow pack members said nothing at first and then started laughing. 

******  
“Holy shit, that is fucking amazing!”

Liam could only agree with Mike’s exclamation. They had reached the Barren River Wild West Holiday Resort and they all gaped at the many ranch styled houses ahead of them. The whole resort was arranged like an old Wild West town. You had the main street leading to the biggest house where the reception and a restaurant was located and the guest houses were gathered left and right from the street in several rows and so were several souvenir shops. The area seemed big, bigger than it had looked on the internet. Liam was impressed. Not only him when he looked at his pack’s faces. 

They had parked their cars in the big parking lot right next to the main building and got out to look around and take everything in. Right behind the main house, Liam spotted the pasturages and the stables, saw a few horses. The scent of pine trees came from the nearby woods and the air was clear. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes for a moment. It was a different scent than at the lake but still very refreshing, especially after being in a big city like Las Vegas and then on a plane. 

“Okay, one of each room team should come and check in with me,” Liam told his pack and grabbed Mason by the arm to pull him away from his makeout session with Corey. Mason squawked at that but Liam didn’t stop pulling him towards the reception. “I mean, you can sleep in the car if you don’t want to check in now, no problem, Mase.”  
Mase grumbled but then actually walked next to Liam and freed himself from his best friend’s grip. “Always so strict.”  
“I’m the Alpha.” Liam grinned and then entered the building, followed by Mason, Ever, and Nolan. A woman in their mid-forties sat at a big wooden reception desk and smiled cheerfully at them. 

“Hello, how can I help you?”  
“We have a booking.” Liam handed her all the documents and she checked her computer.   
“Ah, there. Yes, please just sign those registration forms for each room.” She handed out the forms and collected them after they were signed, then each of them got the keys to their respective rooms.   
“We assigned you rooms next to each other. When you leave the building, you’ll find them on the right, the first four shacks in the first row.”  
“We all get a shack? I thought we only booked rooms.” Liam was surprised.  
“Oh yes, you did. The houses in the first row left and right are just one single room with an adjoining bathroom. The larger houses for families or bigger groups start in the second row. Do you want me to switch and put you all in one house?”  
Liam shook his head. “No, it’s fine that way, thank you.”  
“Perfect,” she chirped, “now the reception is here and open 24/7 in case you need anything. The restaurant is to the left, the breakfast will also be served there. You’ll also find the community pool in this house, the fitness room. Near the stables is the barn where the community events like dances or game nights take place. You should check it out, it’s fun. In your rooms, you will find timetables on when which activity will take place. If you want to join one, just come to the meeting point at the time you’re supposed to meet up and that’s all. The resort isn’t fully booked, there should be no problem in attending every activity just like that.”

“Okay, is there also the possibility to venture out on your own? Go for a hike or something without a guide?” Ever asked and the receptionist nodded. She handed each of them a map of the area.  
“There are several hiking paths all around, you see it on the different colors. The big orange line shows the border, you should not overstep that. There will also be signs when you’re leaving the safe environment.”  
“After those signs, it’s not safe? Why? Dangerous animals?” Mason questioned after a look at the map.  
“Yes, yes, there are wild animals in the woods, wolves and bears and mountain lions sometimes, but nature can also be dangerous and confusing. It’s easy to get lost without a guide. Also, especially after rain, the ground can be tricky sometimes and there are possibilities of slipping down when you leave the secure paths. Be careful, please.”  
“We will watch out,” Liam promised her and she beamed at him before they left the building again and walked back to the others.

“So much stuff to do and such a large area to explore.” Mason was still checking out the map while he walked. “How are we supposed to decide on what activities we all want to do?”  
“This is a vacation, not a group therapy. This is our time to relax, enjoy our time here, do whatever we want to do. We don’t have to do everything together,” Liam said with a shake of his head. “So, everyone can decide what they want to do. That’s the meaning of this vacation.” He grabbed his bag and jingled the keys to the room assigned to him and Theo. Koda and Aka barked and followed the Alpha as eagerly as Theo when he now walked towards their little cabin and stepped on the small patio every house had. There were even two baskets with blankets for the dogs to sleep in. Liam found this very thoughtful of the resort. 

He now put the key in the lock and opened the door. The room itself had a wooden floor and wooden walls, all kept in a light wood. On the left side of the room stood a rocking chair next to a desk with one chair in front and a mini bar underneath it. A fireplace for cold nights was the centerpiece on the left wall and then two cozy looking arms chairs stood right in front of the two windows giving a nice look at the surroundings of the little shack. All chairs had red pillows with white Western patterns, the same patterns could also be found on the quilt of the double bed, the centerpiece on the right side of the room. On the left of the bed stood a dresser in the same wood as the walls, to the right of the bed was the entrance to the bathroom. 

“That’s pretty. I think we can feel at ease here for a few days, right?” Liam praised and put his bag on the floor before he sat on the bed.  
“Yeah, it’s pretty nice. Great idea you had there.” Theo said next to Liam and gently ran a hand through his boyfriend’s hair.  
Liam smiled at the touch. “Something for all of us. We deserved a break.”  
“We did but don’t think about this anymore. Enjoy our vacation.” And to help him with that Theo just kissed Liam softly. It worked and Liam put a hand on his mate’s cheek ere he returned the kiss.   
“I love you,” he mumbled when they pulled apart and Theo chuckled.   
“I love you too,” he replied and nudged Liam’s nose with his before he pressed another sweet kiss on Liam’s lips. “Do you already have some things in mind you’d like to do while we’re here?”

Liam shook his head but got up and grabbed the timetable from the desk. He plopped down next to Theo again, petted Koda who sat next to the bed and huffed happily, and then delved into the many activities the resort offered. “I’m sure as hell ain’t going horse riding.”   
“Good, that way I don’t have to call an ambulance.”  
“Asshole!” Liam shoved Theo by his shoulder and Theo laughed and grabbed Liam by the arm. They wrestled a bit and it ended with Liam draping his body over Theo’s and pinning him on the bed. He returned to inspecting the timetable. “I think I will play it by ear,” he finally made a decision. 

“Are you letting me up so I can take a look as well?” Theo inquired since Liam still had him pinned down. Liam snickered.   
"Maybe.” He looked down at Theo and kissed his nose. “Though having you at my mercy like this is nice.”  
Theo growled playfully and tried to capture Liam’s lips with his own. Liam played along for a while but then let Theo have this little victory and kissed him. The happy sigh from Theo was a very nice reward. 

“Come on, the others maybe decided on what they want to do already.” Liam patted Theo’s hips and then finally got to his own feet.   
“Hey, wait for me!” Theo called after him and quickly got to his feet as well to chase Liam out of their room.   
He caught Liam outside and grabbed his arms. Liam laughed and the couple squabbled with one another under the excited barks of Aka and Koda and the laughs of their fellow pack mates.   
“Is this an Alpha - Beta thing?” Mason asked. He and Corey sat on the bench on their patio and watched them.  
“I think this is a Thiam thing, to be real. They have to have their little fights like that. Oh look, Liam let Theo win,” Corey replied.  
Liam had let Theo caught him in a tight embrace and didn’t struggle against the hold his mate had on him. He pressed closer, if only.   
“I won because I’m that good!” Theo claimed and Liam scoffed.   
“Sure, Jan,” Corey called out and Liam snickered.

Ever dropped a backpack right next to the Alpha couple and cleared her throat. “If you’re done hugging our Alpha to death, would anybody like to accompany me on a hike to explore our surroundings? I asked the receptionist and she gave me the perfect route for getting to know the area a bit better. She also said we should take our bikinis and trunks with us cause there are some great places to swim.”

A hike sounded good to Liam. The flight and then the drive here made him eager to move a bit but on the other hand, he was a bit tired and didn’t want to have that much action. “I’m in.”  
“Tim and Maya are already packing some things as well, they’re coming with us. Anybody else?”   
“We’re just checking everything out, I think. Maybe next time.” Corey and Mason decided. Mike, Sadie, and Nolan were already on their way to explore the resort themselves.  
“Know what? I think I’ll join you,” Theo suddenly said. Liam flashed him a happy yet surprised smile.  
“Really? Awesome!”  
“Yeah, puppy, really. Making sure none of you get lost.”  
“Pssh.” Liam scoffed and Theo chortled while he pushed him towards their room so they could change in some clothes more suitable for a hike, pack something to drink and their swim trunks, the usual stuff. 

They took the puppies with them when they finally left the resort, Ever leading their little group. The path they followed led them between some willows and a meadow with some obstacles on it and then towards the woods. The sun was shining brightly but with the breeze flowing it never really burned, it was pleasant. 

“I love the scent in the air. Pine trees are amazing.” Maya sniffed and threw a stick for Aka to fetch. They had taken the dogs with them just because and both were busy sniffing out very rock and every plant they could get their nose on. Koda was the more daring one and always some steps ahead of the group while Aka stayed more with them and now happily chased after the stick. 

“That depends, too much of this scent and I get nauseous. Bad memories I think. When we were eight, Mason’s grandparents took us on a trip to the amusement park. They had one of those air fresheners in a tree shape and with the scent of pine trees, the whole car smelled like it. Long story short, I puked, it was disgusting,” Liam shared an embarrassing childhood story with his friends and they laughed.   
“Sure you didn’t puke because of the car movement or because you ate too much?” Maya was skeptical.   
“No, because the car stunk. When I was in the fresh air, I felt magically better.”   
“Note to myself: Never buy a pine scented air freshener,” Theo muttered and climbed up the little hill. Liam smirked at him and nodded.  
“Unless you want me to puke, no.”  
“Liam, I want to see you do a lot of things but puking sure as hell ain’t one.” Theo scrunched his nose in disgust. 

“You look like a little bunny, every time you do that,” Liam pointed out. “So if I’m the puppy, you’re the bunny.”  
“I’m having this strange image of Theo with a little cotton tail and I’m walking faster now!” Tim called out and really sped up. “Ladies, you sure as hell don’t want to hear this!” 

Liam laughed loudly when Maya and Ever also sped up and the Alpha couple fell back. He bounced over to his boyfriend and linked their arms. “I’m happy you decided to come with us. It’s always enjoyable to have you around.”  
“I enjoy being around you as well but I’m not a bunny,” Theo rejected the new nickname but he didn’t seem to mind that much when you took the soft smile on his face into account.   
“Bunnies are nice. I was very little and wanted a bunny but my father refused because for a boy to have a bunny as a pet was disgusting. It made you look gay.”

“Your father was a homophobe?”   
“Yeah, you didn’t know?” Liam had been sure he mentioned it once or twice. he rarely talked about Emmet Dunbar and when he did he mostly said the same things so he didn’t pay much attention.   
“Probably never fully realized it until now. I’m sorry you had to grow up like that.”  
“It’s nothing you could have prevented. I mean, I didn’t realize I was bi back then, that was probably for the best. And mom was always open-minded.”

They continued to follow the other three up the hiking path. “Your dad, how was he? You don’t have to tell me, of course, I’m just interested. We can switch topics if you don’t want to answer.” Liam didn’t mean to pressure Theo into telling him something but he longed to learn more about the time before the Dread Doctors if Theo remembered anything.   
Theo inhaled slowly. “My family had always been kind of strange, kind of torn. My dad had a sister he stopped talking to years ago and such. He and my mom were very set on what neighbors might think about you, so Tara and I had to be nice and good and perfect. But he was a good guy, I think. He just never really understood me. I was this quiet kid, the one who rather read a book than play baseball. He once told me I was thinking too much and that this would cause difficulties when I got older. Shortly after that, the Dread Doctors showed up.”  
Liam went for a comforting smile. “I am sure, your dad loved you very much.”   
Theo shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe.”

 He raised his head and watched a bird sitting in a tree and singing. “Look how pretty his red feathers are. It still amazes me how much better I can see since you bit me. My eyesight was never bad but now it’s even better than before.” 

Liam realized Theo was changing topics and he was fine with that. Theo had told him a little bit of his family, they were making progress.   
“I feel like every day I’m living as a werewolf I’m getting better and better at this whole enhanced senses thing. Thinking back to my beginning, god I was overwhelmed by literally everything.”  
“And then you had to also fight against Berserkers and a dead pool.”  
“That too, yep. I’m sure not every fifteen-year-old boy has to deal with people wanting to burn him alive. I hope so, at least. I would be scared for our world if that was not the case.”  
“But you turned out great, despite every traumatic experience you’ve been through. You never stopped loving, never stopped seeing the good in people.”  
“No, that’s not right.” Liam shook his head. “I stopped seeing the good in people for a while. When Monroe and her people cornered us, managed to set up the whole town against us, when we sat in the sheriff’s station, I stopped seeing the good in people. I didn’t see it in Nolan. I didn’t see it in the people who stood by and watched me getting beaten up by my team members.”   
Theo reached out and stroked Liam’s cheek. “And yet you fought for them, protected them from the Anuk-ite and in the end you forgave them even. Nolan is your friend, your pack mate, you asked him to be part of this pack.”

Liam waved it off and continued following the path. “In the end, I decided I'm only responsible for my own actions and feelings, not for theirs. Guess a part of me wanted to be better than all of them and another part knew most of them only did it out of fear. Nolan didn’t know better and he believed the lies Monroe fed him.” He snarled. “I also made my mind up about something else.”  
“What’s that?”  
“Next time I meet Monroe, I’m gonna rip her heart out.”  
Theo’s eyes flashed for a moment. “I’ll hold her while you’re doing so. For Brett, right?”  
“For Brett, for Lori, and even for Gabe. And for all the other people who lost their lives because this psychopathic bitch thought they had to.”

Liam closed his eyes for a moment and willed the anger down he always felt when this topic came up. “This is getting a bit dark. Change of topic, please. This is our vacation, we shouldn’t think about that.”  
“Right but I want you to know, I like having those talks with you. Well, not in a way they’re my favorite topic, but in a way that we exchange opinions and I know I’m not alone with my thoughts.”  
He gave Theo a look. “You’re never alone, Dore.”  
They smiled at each other when Tim called out for them. 

“Liam, Theo, you have to see this!” 

The couple shared a look and then quicked their pace up the hill the others had already climbed. Tim stood there, flashing them an excited smile, but the girls where nowhere to be found. “Where are Artemis and Hecate?”  
“I’ll show you, follow me.” Tim took a smaller path leading away from the main one, between some bushes, and motioned the Alpha couple to do the same. Liam was curious where this lead because he had no idea but his natural curious character made him eagerly follow Tim. 

The way was a bit unclear and the bushes and roots made it a tad tricky to walk, especially when it went downhill but they finally ended at a waterfall ending in a pond deep enough to swim. The banks were covered in pebbles and earth, some bigger rocks creating perfect places to sit and sunbathe. Maya and Ever were already in the water, their bags and clothes put aside so they didn’t get wet, and they played with the dogs paddling around them and barking happily. 

“Okay, wow. That is really pretty.” Theo looked impressed.  Liam had to agree with his boyfriend. Incredible what nature could offer.   
Tim pointed at a sign between some bushes. “You can swim here, so it’s not dangerous.” He carefully made his way down to the pond and stripped down to his swim trunks before he jumped in the water. Ever and Maya laughed and splashed him when he surfaced again.   
Liam smiled. “Come on, T!” He yelled and stripped down to his board shorts. One of the bigger rocks built a perfect springboard to dive into the water and he used it to cannonball right into the cool water.

Despite the light breeze, being in the sun and hiking up- and downhill it had made him run hot and the water was a welcomed cooling. When the water surrounded him Liam felt safe and he admired how the sun sparkled in the water before he surfaced again and shook his head, sending water flying everywhere. His hands came up to stroke his wet hair back and next moment he was splashed when Theo jumped into the water. Liam raised his hands to shield himself and laughed loudly. 

“This is awesome. When the lady at the reception talked about swimming I imagined a lake, not this.” Ever sighed dreamily and swam towards the waterfall. “Look. you can even stand under the waterfall. Like a natural shower.”  
Maya was floating on her back in the pond. “I don’t know what your plans are but I’m staying here. You can go hike further, pick me up on their way back.”  
“I’m staying here too,” Liam decided and swam around for a while. Tim, Theo, and Ever obviously also decided to stay here, swam for a while, took turns in jumping into the water, and sunbathed. 

Liam made himself a temporary home on top of one of the large rocks, spread out on one towel and the sun shining down on him. His wet body was getting dried up by the sun and he took another towel, furled it, and put it under his head to make himself more comfortable. Theo joined him sometime later and pillowed his head on Liam’s stomach. The move felt quite natural and it made Liam smile. He didn’t comment on it though and just ran his hand through Theo’s wet hair while the couple relaxed in the sun. 

The nineteen-year-old watched some fluffy clouds move over the blue sky, watched some birds chasing each other up in the air, butterflies flying around, and he felt happy. He still had a feeling something was coming and he could not put his finger on what exactly this something was, but for now, he felt carefree. Maybe it wasn’t even bad, maybe something good came along the way. Okay, years of bad supernatural experiences hade made him quite skeptical of this train of thoughts but a guy could dream every once in a while. 

“This is nice.”  
Theo hummed his agreement on Liam’s statement but didn’t move and continued to enjoy Liam’s fingers in his hair. ”I’m happy I get to experience this with you, baby.”  
Another hum from his boyfriend and Liam momentarily tightened his hold and pulled at the wet strands. Theo hummed once more and a slight whiff of arousal got carried over to Liam. Theo clearly enjoyed the treatment.   
He raised his head slightly and watched the relaxed expression on the Beta’s face which prompted a smile to appear on Liam’s face. No doubt how in love he was with this man and nobody else would ever compare to this. He pillowed his head back on the towel and never stopped running his fingers through Theo’s hair.

“Are you still jealous of Scott?”

The question came to Liam’s mind all of sudden and he felt Theo stiffen. Liam heard Theo’s hurt doing a surprise jump and he bit his lip. But they never talked this out after their fight had been interrupted by Liam getting abducted by a Berserker.   
“Liam...”  
“Don’t Liam me, we never got to discuss this. It’s important to me because obviously, it’s important to you. Important enough you brought it up.”  
“I was stressed when I started this argument!”  
“You weren’t. You were jealous,” Liam stated matter of factly.   
He heard Theo inhale sharply and then silence. Theo huffed finally. “Okay, yeah, I was jealous.” 

Theo sat up and Liam suppressed a whine that his mate was moving away from him. He propped himself up on his elbows and watched Theo. The older male had a tense look on his face, lips pressed tightly together, and he frantically looked around in search of any distraction. When he seemed to find none, he slumped down a bit. “Can you blame me? We’re talking about Scott McCall here, True Alpha and he has not only a heart full of gold but everything about him is golden basically. He is good, he is pure, he is everything I’m not. You were so happy when he was around, constantly talked to him, touched him, and it drove me nuts. My wolf didn’t like it, so I also had this animalistic side of jealousy. I never planned on lashing out the way I did but I couldn’t help myself in the end.”

Liam sat up completely now. “Hey,” he said and grabbed Theo’s chin to softly tilt his head and make him look at Liam, “I see Scott as an older brother, just like I do with Stiles and Malia and Lydia as my older siblings. I don’t love him the way I love you, I never had a crush on him and I will never have one. I was happy he was in Seattle with us, yes, because we finally talked about everything and I could show him where I and my pack stand. I got to prove myself to him, show him I’m a capable Alpha with a strong pack, this was very important to me. After all that drama we’ve been through, the not talking for weeks, Clarisse/Celia, this was what I needed to have with him. It was a step in our relationship we needed to take. I am sorry it gave you the impression I’m crushing on Scott but believe me, baby, when I’m telling you nothing is further from the truth. I admire Scott but just as a big brother figure.” He moved closer to Theo. “Theo only man I’m crushing on, the only person I’m crushing on, is right in front of me,” he whispered and then slowly closed the gap between them. He moved slowly to give Theo time enough to pull away when he didn’t want to get kissed right now but Theo didn’t budge. Their lips finally met in a tender kiss and Theo even tilted his head to kiss Liam better. His hands wound around the Alpha’s waist and he held Liam while they kissed.

“I’m not just crushing on you,” Liam muttered when they parted to catch their breath, “I’m in love with you. Only you.” He dove into yet another kiss and Theo hummed against his lips. He understood Liam’s kiss as the promise that it was: _I’m not going anywhere. Noone else is attractive to me, only you_.

“I am sorry for getting jealous,” Theo mumbled when they broke the kiss again. Liam chuckled softly and leaned his forehead against Theo’s.  
“I like you being jealous, as long as it doesn’t always end in a full-blown fight. But you understood me now? Scott is no match for you and I will make sure you don’t forget this for the rest of our lives.”  
“I can’t promise you I will never get jealous of Scott ever again. I will try my best though.”  
Liam rubbed is nose against Theo’s. “If you ever get jealous, tell me. We will work through this. Because there will be times when I will get jealous of somebody as well. I know it will happen. We will try to be mature adults about it and talk without fighting, okay?”  
Theo smiled. “Try being the key word here.”  
“Yeah.” Liam chuckled. “Now, I’m feeling like a fish out of water. Let’s go for another swim.”

Theo nodded and together they climbed down to the pond again and jumped in the water. The other pack members were at the side, sunbathing or reading, the dogs curled up by the water and asleep in the sun.   
“Tag, you’re it!” Liam tapped Theo’s shoulder and swam away from his mate as fast as possible. It wasn’t much use, Theo laughed but followed and soon caught Liam right under the waterfall. 

His hands grabbed Liam’s hips and spun him around. With how close both were they ended pressed chest to chest and the water rushed down on them. Theo smiled, looked deeply into Liam’s eyes, then his glance traveled lower to Liam’s lips. Liam bit his lips invitingly and then Theo’s lips were on his in a deep kiss.

Liam raised his arms and wrapped them around Theo’s shoulders, hand in Theo’s hair and the other one pressed between Theo’s shoulder blades. He heard nothing else than the water rushing all around them and he only tasted Theo. Theo’s lips against his own and now his tongue licking over Liam’s own lips and coaxing them open. Liam complied and his tongue came out to greet Theo’s. He heard something far away, close to a whooping sound, but it was dulled from the water and might as well have been his imagination. He rather focused on how Theo put the palms of his hands against his back and pressed Liam closer to his body while their tongues tangled and their kiss turned sloppier and deeper. This wasn’t like a kiss in the shower, this felt different, maybe because they stood under a freaking waterfall or maybe because the amount of water served as a curtain to the real world; for whatever reason it might be, they lost themselves in each other, licking into each other’s mouths and clinging as close to one another as possible without merging. Soft moans and sighs spilled from their mouths and were eagerly swallowed by the other. 

Only when they really, really needed to breathe they reluctantly pulled away and blinked against the water and the blur of passion. Liam felt a little bit lightheaded and kept his hold on Theo. Theo never let him go either and smiled a very private smile, just for Liam. Liam smiled back and cuddled close to Theo, arms wrapped around his mate and happy with the close contact. 

“They’re filming us,” he realized when he turned his head and saw Maya and Ever with their phone’s in hand.   
“We also took some pictures, figured you might as well like this,” Maya added and Ever chuckled.  
“Boys, that was hot af.”  
“Perverts.” Theo shook his head and grinned, then kissed Liam’s temple. “I want to see those pictures.” 

Liam wanted to see those pictures too and he swam back to the other pack members to take a look at the pictures and the video. He would never admit it but he was glad they had been caught on camera because this surely was something he would love to watch over and over again and when Liam got the pictures on his phone as well by the girls, he even uploaded a picture of their kiss to his Instagram. He could brag a bit with his love life, right?

Suddenly his phone chimed with an incoming text from Mason and he curiously opened it.

[from Mason]  
**I am gagging. That picture is hot, Corey and I are totally agreeing on that one. And not only is it hot but also one of the most romantic things one could do. I applaud you. You won this round but the war is on, Emerson! Let’s see who has the better couple pictures by the end of the vacation.**

Liam grinned and showed Theo the text. “Us, of course,” his Beta said and kissed Liam’s cheek. Liam laughed and then dried himself off so he could dress again since they had decided to slowly walk back to the resort and meet up with the others again. Theo slung one arm around Liam’s shoulder when they walked back and Liam wrapped his arm around Theo’s waist.

When they finally reached the resort again, the core pack smirked at them. “Your friends commented on the picture,” Sadie told them, phone in her hand. “Lydia says: Right on, Scott says this is strangely attractive and he has no idea what that means, Mason congratulates on this very romantic picture, and your mother asks if this is an engagement picture because if it is, she needs to have a serious talk with the two of you.”  
“What?” Liam peeked at her phone and true to her words every comment was there. And some others as well.

“Well? Is it one?” Sadie looked impatiently at him.  
“One what?” Liam frowned.  
“Engagement picture.”  
Liam sighed. “Sadie, am I wearing a ring?”  
“No, but you could hide it to surprise us even more.”  
“Do you really think we would drive to this resort, go on a hike, find a waterfall we had no idea even existed just so Theo could ask that one question?”

“Oh, so it’s Theo who will propose?” That question had come from Mason who overheard their talk.  
Liam looked at his best friend and nodded. “Yeah, we already settled on that. Just like the fact that I will take his last name when we get married.”  
“No more Dunbar?”  
“No more Dunbar then.” Liam shook his head.  
“So. Theo will pop the question and you will take his last name when you get married. That’s cute.” Corey was amazed by this and beamed at them.

“Don’t forget, we will own a bakery with adjoining coffee shop together,” Theo added to the list and used the arm he still had wrapped around Liam’s shoulders to pull his lover closer again. Liam reached up and laced their fingers together as he smiled.   
“Yep, Theo agreed to be my business partner after college.” He was proud of that and his smile showed it.   
“Ay, a bakery run by the two of you, this will be amazing. We all will gain pounds. Oh my god, I need to invest in a gym membership,” Mason exclaimed. “Corey, remind me of starting a membership when we’re back home.”  
“Will do,” Corey promised his husband with a nod.  
“The only thing we need now is a badass name for our bakery,” Liam thought out loud and he looked at Theo. “Any suggestions?”  
“Thiam’s!” The whole core pack chorused before Theo could even reply.   
Liam laughed and shared a look with Theo. “It’s something we can think about, don’t you agree?”  
“Definitively,” Theo answered and kissed Liam. It was not a very deep kiss since they both smiled but they were just happy and carefree and that’s the important thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took my sweet time writing this chapter, I know that. Different things led to me taking this break. But I'm back now with a brand new chapter and I hope you are excited about it. I know I am excited. The Thiam kiss made my knees weak, what do you think about it? Who doesn't want a kiss like that?  
> As always, constructive criticism, wishes, comments, fan screaming are welcome and appreciated. Have a question? Feel free to ask!  
> Rock on, my sweeties!


	43. Resort adventures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack's vacation at the resort continues. It seems like Theo made a new friend as well...

The pack had decided to visit the barn that night since the receptionist claimed there was always something going on and guests enjoyed the activities offered there. It also had a bar so they could have some drinks there. The barn was big and held a dancefloor right in the middle of the building with a DJ table. The bar was located on the right side of the barn and had several tables and booths placed in front of it. Some hay was lying around as a matter of décor and Liam liked the rustical style it had. Spotlights hung from the ceiling and cast red, yellow and green lights on the dance floor. 

Mason touched his arm. “Look, Liam, they have a mechanical bull.” He pointed in a corner and true to his words the mechanic bull was waiting there, innocently and still at the moment.  
The Alpha laughed. “Oh no, I know what you’re thinking but no.”  
“Come on, you are good at this. Remember when we were kids and played at this indoor playground. They had one too and you loved it. You were the best at it.”  
“We were how old? It was a year after my parents’ divorce so we were eight. Maybe I was good back then but I have not been on such a thing in years,” Liam declined while the pack sat at a table.  
Mike frowned. “Hold up, I was under the impression you were older when your parents divorced, not just seven.”  
Liam shrugged. “You were? Well, I was. Seven, I mean.”  
“But you said your father beat you up so badly you had to go to the hospital.”  
Liam saw the realization on his Betas’ faces how young he had been and he hurried to change the topic. “Guys, I don’t want to talk about my father tonight. Let’s have fun instead, okay?”

He grabbed the drink menu to pick out what he wanted to have and gave the start for the others to do as well. A waitress appeared moments later to take their order.  
“I’ll take a Splash,” Theo ordered and Liam was surprised by that.  
“That’s non-alcoholic.”  
Theo shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “So is the drink you ordered. You’re not drinking so I don’t want to drink tonight either. Is this bad?”  
“No, just surprising. You know I don’t expect you to stop having alcoholic drinks if you want to.”  
“I’m aware. I just don’t want to have alcoholic drinks tonight.” Theo put his arm around Liam’s shoulder and pulled him closer. “Another reason is you’re acting so mature, no drinking and yet having fun, I can enjoy this more when I’m sober myself. It is very attractive.”  
“Oh.” Liam blushed slightly yet grinned and pecked Theo’s lips. “Prince Charming, huh?”  
“Always for you, baby.”  
Liam smiled and kissed Theo’s shoulder before he looked around. “It is cozy. The barn design is cute actually though I’m absolutely no farm boy whatsoever.”  
“But you would be a real hot farm boy.”  
“Sadie, stop hitting on my mate!” Theo scolded her.  
“Possessive, much?”  
Liam grinned and hid it against Theo’s shoulder while he listened to the bantering between his two Betas.

They fell into an easy conversation with their pack mates over the cause of the evening. Their chatter filled the air and as more people came into the barn music was playing and you could also dance. Liam found himself watching his pack move on the dance floor with a fond smile on his face. He was proud of them and seeing them laugh and goof around, dance to the music or sing along (as Ever and Nolan did occasionally) was making him happy. Hard times lay behind them, experience told Liam hard times were ahead of them, and he still had the feeling something was happening but had no idea what. He still didn’t feel like it was a threat but he was alerted to everything possible.

He grabbed his drink and wandered towards the corner where the mechanical bull was. A few people had already tried their luck and it had always caused them and other people to laugh. Some were really good at staying up, others fell in the first round. Mason was trying his luck and lasted a little longer than most but then he landed on the bouncy ring surrounding the bull.  
Liam chuckled and helped his best friend off. “Very elegant how you fell. 10/10.”  
“The stage is all yours. Show me how elegant you can fall off,” Mason fired back.  
Liam surveyed the mechanical bull with its brown and red fake fur and the little horns. “Okay. Hold my beer. I know it’s not a beer but still. Hold it.”

He climbed on the bull and tried to move in the steadiest position possible. It started slow but soon picked up movement and Liam tried to go with it, roll with the moves and take the power out of the wild bucking. People cheered around him and clapped when he still managed to hold himself on top of the mechanical bull. Liam remembered why he liked this so much as a kid. The rush you felt when it went up and down, like a little rollercoaster. Also, it felt like a little accomplishment when you held yourself up even when it got faster and wilder.  
When he finally fell, he heard the people hollering and smirked. “I told you he’s good at this!” Mason yelled to be heard over the noise while Liam crawled away from the bull.  
“You’re one of the best tonight,” a staff member told Liam and he simply shrugged his shoulders.  
“Explain this to me. You can’t ride a horse but you can ride this?” Maya smirked.  
“Horses are real animals and they have their own mind, do what they want. This stays in one place and if I fall, I fall soft,” Liam explained himself. He got his drink back from Mason and took a sip from it through the red straw. His eyes landed on Theo who sat at the pack’s table, had his chin rested on top of the booth’s backrest and watched him with a smirk. There was the slightest flash of gold in his eyes and he never took his eyes of Liam. Liam grinned around the straw in his mouth and sucked on it while he shot his mate a wink. Theo’s smirk grew more lewdly and a soft shiver ran down Liam’s spine. Even without words or touches, his boyfriend could make him understand where his mind was wandering.

He sauntered over to the table and sat next to Theo. His boyfriend wrapped his arm around Liam’s shoulders immediately and pulled him closer. Liam put one hand on Theo’s leg and finished his drink. He really liked the fruity taste of this beverage.  
“I told y’all Lee’s good at riding. He obviously has a lot of practice.” Mason was proud his theory had been proven right. “Good job, Theo!”  
“I would say thanks but he’s not the only one doing the riding. It’s a give and take, you know?” Theo grinned.

******  
They had stayed at the barn for quite a while, chatting and dancing, and when they finally returned to their room sleep came easy for Liam. He showered, brushed his teeth, and shortly after crawling under the covers he fell asleep wrapped around Theo.

He was awoken by Theo whispering his name and shaking his shoulder gently. Liam yawned and tried to catch a glimpse of the time but his phone was too far away. It was dark in the room, was it the middle of the night?  
“Theo, what’s going on?” Liam rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair.  
“Want to go for a run?” Theo asked and kissed his cheek.  
“Right now? You want to go for a jog right now? What time is it?”  
“I don’t want to go for a jog, I want to go for a _run_. I can’t sleep and with all the nature around us, I think it would be perfect for running. Come on, baby,” Theo coaxed him gently.  
Liam sat up. “Oh, that kind of run.” Now that Theo brought it up, it sounded alluring. “Okay, why not?” He decided after a short time of thinking.  
Theo pecked his lips and jumped from the bed to undress. He shifted swiftly and used the open window to jump out. Having a ground-floor room that was easy. “Showoff,” Liam still mocked him and the black wolf simply grumbled. Liam chortled but shifted as well and jumped after his mate. Theo lowered his head and sniffed the ground then he started running and Liam followed easily.

The path they chose led them almost the same way they hiked earlier the day. Running while the stars were up in the sky was always freeing and Liam felt himself and his wolf enjoy it. The woods smelled different during the night, there were other sounds, and so much more to explore. Him being shifted didn’t take anything away from his curiosity and Liam used his sharpened senses to explore all kind of things, bushes, rocks, trees, he saw a squirrel and followed it until it hopped up a tree. 

And then they arrived at the waterfall and stopped to drink. It was a warm summer night, wolves had a higher body temperature than humans, and the running around made them thirsty so they stopped and drank from the water. Liam raised his head and watched the waterfall and the pond glistening in the moonlight. He trotted up to the rock the couple had sunbathed on earlier and watched their surroundings from above. The pond looked inviting and before he could think twice, Liam had jumped from the rock.  
The water cooled him down and felt good as it surrounded him. He shifted back to human while he was underwater and after he surfaced again, he shook his head to get the water out of his ears. When he looked for Theo, the black wolf stood at the bank completely still and just watched him.  
“Come on, the water is nice and cool. It’s refreshing. Don’t tell me you never skinny-dipped before.”  
The wolf still blinked at him. Liam rolled his eyes. “Don’t be such a buzzkill. It’s just you and me, in case you’re worried anybody could see you. You should have gone skinny-dipping at least once in your life.”  
Theo still didn’t shift back or showed any emotion and Liam decided to take more drastic measures. “If you don’t want to join me, I should howl perhaps? Maybe there are other wolves here who willing to go skinny-dipping with me.”  
The black wolf growled, bared his teeth, and Liam smirked. “Ah, so you **are** listening. Don’t like the idea of somebody else swimming with me?” 

He swam a bit away from Theo and heard him huff before he simply laid down and put his head on his paws. Theo obviously decided to be stubborn. Liam decided to give in just a little bit and swam closer again to splash some water in Theo’s direction. Except Theo didn’t butch at all.  
“You’re cute when you’re acting like a stubborn puppy. I’m not the only puppy here.” Liam swam as close as he could, leaned up, and pressed a kiss on the bridge of Theo’s nose. “My wolfy,” he mumbled fondly and Theo raised his head and brushed his snout against Liam’s chin. Liam smiled but then swam away again and around in the pond.

Theo watched him for a while then he trotted into the water. His shift came easily and he wrapped his arms around Liam’s waist from behind. “You can seduce me with being soft, that’s an unfair advantage, my naughty little Alpha.”  
Liam laughed. “I don’t think it’s unfair at all.”  
Theo bit down on his earlobe and Liam squeaked. They were close to the waterfall again, where the ground was higher and they could stand, so Theo had an even better hold when he pulled Liam flush against his chest. He licked the water droplets away from Liam’s neck and his hands grabbed his butt and squeezed. Liam moaned.  
Theo moved his lips all over Liam’s neck and sucked on his pulse point, left little marks behind which faded immediately. He kept Liam pressed against his body all the time, never let too much space get between them. 

He finally spun Liam around and wrapped both arms possessively around Liam’s waist. “What about howling so another wold can come and keep you company?”  
Liam grinned and put his arms around Theo’s neck. “Don’t have to howl, I have my mate here with me. What else could I want?”  
“Good answer,” Theo mumbled and raised one hand to grip Liam’s chin lightly. “Perfect answer even.” He pressed his lips to Liam’s in a kiss and Liam sighed happily into it. Theo still held his chin and therefore controlled the kiss which Liam found fairly hot. Despite him being the Alpha he liked to have Theo be in charge every now and then. Their relationship worked that way, with switching a lot of the times. 

Theo’s hand disappeared from his face and Liam mourned the missing touch quietly. The corner of his mouth turned down in displeasure causing Theo to chuckle. “Cute,” the older mumbled and stroked over Liam’s shoulders and down his arms. He just watched the young Alpha and goosebumps ran over Liam’s body by the hungry look in Theo’s eyes. His Beta’s lips were curled into a seductive smirk and Liam was here for this. His man looking like this made his knees weak and he was about to drop to the floor and let Theo do to him whatever he wanted to. They had reached this point in their relationship, where they trusted each other so much they were ready to give themselves over, knowing full well the other would not hurt them or take advantage of them.

His thoughts were interrupted by Theo wrapping his strong arms around him and lifting him up. Liam squeaked once more and laughed into the kiss Theo had caught his lips in. He kept his arms wrapped around Theo’s neck and his legs wrapped around Theo’s waist. Theo lifted him up like it was nothing and Liam was well aware he wasn’t the lightest but his partner made it seem like no big deal.

 “So strong,” he whispered and kissed Theo’s cheek, his chin and then his neck and ear. His tongue trailed over the shell of his ear and he felt Theo shiver. His hold on Liam tightened and he carefully walked them backward.  
Liam puffed in surprise when the water from the waterfall hit his back but when he realized where the amount of water was actually coming from, he chuckled and tilted his head back. Let the water wash over him while he had his eyes closed.   
“Gorgeous.”  
Liam lowered his head again and opened his eyes when he heard Theo whisper. “Hm?” He inquired and Theo laughed. “You’re gorgeous. The water and all just adds to this. Fuck, Liam, how did I get so lucky?”  
He shook his head in wonder and Liam melted. He ran his hand over Theo’s neck. “Because you deserve to be happy and feel lucky. I’m happy I can make you feel that way.” He giggled. “You’re also quite the charmer.” He leaned in and pressed several little kisses on Theo’s lips. Theo purred.  
“You are so good to me, baby.”  
His grip on Liam’s ass tightened and Liam groaned. With his limited movement caused by the position he was currently in, he tried to press closer to Theo. Theo moved Liam in his arms, displayed the strength in his arms when he made it seem like it was no problem. Liam panted and licked into Theo’s mouth, desperate to feel and taste his lover.

The waterfall surrounded them with some sort of watery curtain, like earlier that day, but since nobody was there anyhow Liam would have not even cared if the water had not been there. Since it was, however, it added another layer of intimacy to their encounter.   
Theo pulled his cheeks apart and groped him while they kissed. His fingers traced Liam’s hole and suddenly one finger pushed inside him and teased Liam’s rim. He gasped and promptly clenched around the digit. It was not nearly as enough as he needed right now but the anticipation of what soon would follow made him dizzy. 

His own cock was hard as a rock and leaked precum, the head red and weeping. The close proximity of their bodies had his cock being caged between them and Liam felt the stimulation as little jolts through his whole body everytime his cock touched Theo’s skin. Skin, his skin was hot despite the water pouring down on them. It felt too small for Liam, too small for everything he was experiencing right now, and he panted louder and louder. 

Theo still teased his rim, now with two fingers at once, and pushed them into Liam in a maddening slow rhythm.   
“Driving me crazy,” Liam murmured and pressed open-mouthed kisses all over Theo’s neck and any part of his shoulder he could reach right now. Theo tilted his head now and gave Liam even more space to let his mouth wander which Liam gladly accepted. Until suddenly Theo’s fingers brushed against his sensitive bundle of nerves and he jerked violently. His blunt teeth closed around Theo’s shoulder and Theo twitched. “Fuck!” Both swore at the same time and after they caught their breaths again. Liam licked over the bite mark on Theo’s shoulder and Theo brushed his fingers over his prostate in a teasing manner again and again.

Liam whimpered. He already felt so sensitive and Theo’s fingers could not fill the longing inside him. “Please...”, he gasped, “Theo, please...Get in me!”  
Theo chuckled lowly and his lips ghosted over Liam’s pulse point. “So eager for me. I love you like this, my naughty little Alpha.”  
The Alpha in question hummed. “I like that,” he admitted breathlessly and whimpered when Theo pushed his fingers against his sensitive spot again.  
“What?” The ex-chimera asked with a rough voice, strained with arousal. His own erection pressed against Liam’s ass, just as weeping as Liam’s. Liam could not wait to have it inside him.   
Now he obviously found Liam lose enough and withdrew his fingers giving Liam time to clear his head a bit and voice his thoughts. “You added my before the nickname. During the first times you only said naughty little Alpha, now it’s _my_ naughty little Alpha. I like that.”  
“You are mine.” Theo’s eyes flashed in their beautiful golden color when he stated that. “You also are a naughty little Alpha but first and foremost you’re my naughty little Alpha. And I ain’t sharing you with anybody.”

They looked at each other and Liam’s lips curved into a private smile, only for Theo to see. His mate returned it and the next kiss they shared was very soft and sweet.   
“I don’t want to be shared with anybody else. We both are not sharing. You’re all mine and I am all yours,” Liam clarified. Theo nodded with a happy laugh.  
“Exactly.”  
He hoisted Liam up a bit and rolled his hips. His cock rubbed against Liam’s ass and the younger man moaned. “Just fuck me already!”  
Theo smirked that one sinful smile from before again and Liam was happy his mate was carrying him because his knees turned weak again. But with how they stood right now Theo had him, as always, and he could relax. And then Theo pushed inside him and all other thoughts ceased to exist in Liam’s mind. He called out Theo’s name loudly and his ass burned from where Theo held him and his blunt nails dug into the skin. But the pain from this and from Theo pushing fully into him soon subsided and left room for this incredible feeling of being so full of Theo. Liam pulled his mate closer and buried his face in the crook of Theo’s neck and then the older began thrusting into him. 

Their moans echoed from the stone walls around the pond, mixed with the sounds coming from the woods around them, joined the rushing of the waterfall, and Liam was lost to the world. He didn’t notice anything else but Theo’s body against his, his partner’s strong arms wrapped around him and his legs around Theo’s waist; didn’t notice the water still cascading on them or the stars sparkling in the sky. All he noticed and cared for was Theo, their closeness, and what was Theo doing to him. He didn’t even realize he screamed Theo’s name over and over and demanded him to fuck him deeper, or Theo’s roar following his pleas. His thrusts increased and Liam’s body shook his pleasure while his nails turned into claws and he pierced the skin on Theo’s shoulders when he held onto him. Theo growled and his fangs teased the skin on Liam’s neck, while his thrusts turned more brutal than before, fucked Liam so good he would probably be hoarse from screaming after they were done. 

They reached their climax almost simultaneously and Liam gasped at the feeling of Theo filling him. He had his head thrown back when he came and howled, and now Liam just closed his eyes and listened to his fast beating heart. And to Theo’s heartbeat beating just as fast as his own.  
Theo had his head rested against Liam’s shoulder and regained his breathing again. Liam had to admit, cuddling after sex was something he loved. He loved being close to Theo in general, but after they chased their highs it felt more intimate than ever. 

“You okay?” He whispered after a while and looked at Theo. His mate nodded and then raised his head.  
“Tired,” he confessed and Liam chuckled.   
“Me too. This was awesome but also tiring.” Liam chuckled and pressed a chaste kiss against Theo’s lips.   
Theo chuckled and slowly let Liam down again. It made him pull out and Liam shivered when he felt Theo’s cum leaking out of his hole, only to be washed away by the water immediately. His own cum coating Theo’s stomach was also washed away and the couple smiled at each other before they swam back to to the bank of the pond. 

Shifting back into wolf form and running back to the resort was no problem at all and since it was still the middle of the night nobody saw them sneaking back into their room. Inside they shifted back to human and fell on the bed. Theo slipped behind Liam and pressed a kiss on his naked shoulder. “I love you,” he whispered and Liam smiled tiredly.  
“I love you too,” he replied and then closed his eyes. He was asleep moments later.

******  
Despite their nightly activities Liam and Theo woke up relatively early the next morning but decided to stay in bed until it was a reasonable time to get up and go for breakfast. Liam was slumped against the headboard of their bed, Theo half on top of him and his head against Liam’s chest. Liam ran his hand over Theo’s naked back and drew various invisible forms on the skin.

“Ever thought about what element you are?” Liam inquired.  
“What element? No, why?” Theo sounded bewildered.  
“Don’t know, it’s fun and you can learn something about yourself I guess. I’m fire, for example. For obvious reasons. Mason is air. He likes to clarify things and keeps it clean.” He considered Theo’s character while he continued to run his hand over Theo’s back. “You would be water. You’re deep and mysterious but being surrounded by you makes me feel safe and helps me clear my head. And when you lash out, it’s like a wave. Water is also beautiful. I love water.”  
Theo stayed silent. “That was a very nice way to describe my character, thank you. Also, fire and water, two opposites and yet they belong together because they are both elements.”  
“Also when they interact you get steam. Steam can also be beautiful but it can also be very hot and dangerous; it fits us greatly. We both are a force to be reckoned with when we work together.”  
“True,” Theo agreed. “We are forces on our own but together we’re deathly.” He purred at Liam caressing him. “Yet this is quite spiritual, huh? The persons compared to elements.”  
“It came to my mind. Maybe it is.”

“You do this a lot lately, think about spiritual things, right? I hear you talking with Ever about elements and shamanism, all those things. You seem to really like those ideas.”  
“I don’t consider myself a spiritual person but with everything we already experienced I can’t help but look for something good in this world filled with evil supernatural beings. I do believe there are some higher powers around, things like Ever’s powers wouldn’t be possible otherwise.”  
“You know I’m an atheist, I don’t believe in god or a higher powers guiding us. But I saw Ever’s powers, I saw Mckenna and her ghost wolf saving you, so maybe there are more things on earth that probably can’t be seen and play a part in this.”  
“The Morning Dew pack has a strong connection to shamanism and spiritual journeys. Maybe this also influences me but I always had the thought there had to be something more, something we can’t quite grasp because it is bigger than all of us. I also believe in angels.”  
“Angels?” Theo looked up and smiled amusedly. “You’re talking about those beings with white wings? Those angels?”  
Liam nodded. “Yeah. Okay, I never told anybody that but remember that one huge car crash shortly after we graduated? Were many cars crashed into each other on Flemming Street?”  
“Sure, the newspapers were full with it.”  
“That day I drove home from…I think Mason’s and I was coming close to the crossroads leading to Flemming Street. I usually would have turned left at the stoplight and saved myself some minutes of driving, I always turn left at this particular stoplight. But when I drove towards the stop light that particular day, I heard a voice clearly saying ‘Go right. Don’t turn left at the stoplight, turn right.’. I was alone in the car, no radio, nobody was there. But I heard it clearly. So I followed it and turned right. The stoplight turns green, I round the corner and drive in the opposite direction and suddenly I hear the crash behind me. If I didn’t turn right, I would have also been involved in the car crash.”  
Theo sat up. “That’s creepy Liam. Which says a lot coming from me.”  
“No.” Liam shook his head. “It wasn’t creepy. That voice, it was grandpa’s. Like he was protecting me. So yes, I do believe in guardian angels. Maybe they have wings, maybe they don’t, but I believe my grandfather was there that day and protected me. Make fun of me all the way you want but I know what I heard.”  
“Don’t get snappy, puppy.”  
Liam narrowed his eyes at Theo. “Then don’t make fun of me.”  
“I wasn’t going to, I just didn’t know you believed in things like that.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked helpless for a moment. “When I think about this, I think more of all the people I killed and then I get more haunted than I feel protected. That’s why I don’t.”

“Do you think there is the chance that version of your sister you saw in hell is just your guilt and there is actually a version of your sister –for the lack of better words – up there that forgave you?”  
Theo shrugged again. “Who knows? Even if she has, I can never forgive myself.”  
Liam put his arms around Theo and slowly pulled him closer, gave Theo enough time to pull away if he didn’t want a hug right now. But Theo leaned into his mate and hid his face in the crook of Liam’s neck.  
“Sorry,” Liam whispered. He had not intended their talk to take such a morbid turn.  
“No. Talking about this helps.”  
“We can talk about this 24/7. Whenever you feel like it, talk to me.”  
“Will do, my spiritual fire,” Theo teased.  
“I love you too, my sarcastic water,” Liam teased back and chuckled.

******  
Say what you want about Liam, sometimes he liked the quiet things. He knew he was usually very loud and annoying but there were moments he found himself enjoying quiet and peaceful things. Crafting was one of those things Liam enjoyed. He wasn’t the most talented person but when he had been younger his mother and he had sat together sometimes and crafted various things, talked about how things were going, and Liam always enjoyed those times. He had worn a bracelet he made during one of those occasions for years and his mother still had the bracelet he made for her until it ripped. Now she had it in her wallet with her.

The pack had met for breakfast but then ventured into various directions to find fun activities to do. Tim and Sadie had wanted to go horse riding and Corey joined them after he claimed he wanted to learn how to ride a horse. Mason tagged along with them to take pictures of his husband and admire him (they were on their first honeymoon, they were allowed to do so). Mike and Theo had taken the opportunity to go on a rafting tour which Liam understood, it was probably fun but he rather stayed on the steady ground and declined their offer to accompany them. Maya was on a guided tour related to the wildlife around the resort and would be gone for the next hours so it left Ever, Liam, and Nolan. Liam had no real idea what to do until he spotted Ever sitting on the patio in front of her room and making bracelets. He joined her and after she cheerfully offered her various utensils to him Liam found himself making bracelets as well. It was exactly the quiet crafting he liked from time to time. Nolan joined them also and the three of them sat in a half circle on the patio and created colorful things.

Liam fiddled with a dark brown leather band and strung dark blue stones on it. He was going for a blue and red color scheme without really noticing, it surely would look good together.  
“Are you making one for Theo? Blue is his favorite color, right?” Nolan asked him and Liam grabbed the scissors.  
“Maybe. I don’t know yet. I just like the blue of the stones.” Liam shrugged and cut the leather band in several smaller straps so he could braid it.  
“I wish I had a boyfriend as well to make bracelets for.” Nolan sighed softly and fished a yellow pearl from the bowl to add to his orange pearls.  
Liam looked up. “Are you lonely?” he asked sympathetically.  
Nolan raised both shoulders and pointed at Ever. “I mean, a bit. I have my best friend here but a partner would be nice. We have two power couples in the pack, I guess it’s only logical you start to wish for this as well.”  
“You will find someone soon enough,” Ever said and braided a red leather band into a brown one.  
“Did you see that? Had a premonition or something?” Nolan inquired and she shook her head.   
“No but you’re a great guy, I know you will.”  
“I hope you’re right. Is it wrong to want earth-shattering romance?”  
Liam shook his head. “Absolutely not. But I’m with Ever, you will find someone. We can go and find yourself one. What’s your type?”  
“Right now I’m swinging more into the male direction. He has to be faithful, I need to feel safe with him, he needs a good sense of humor.”

“Wolf or not?” Ever questioned and Nolan blinked.  
“I never had a wolf so I have no idea. Liam, what’s better? Wolf or not?”  
“I can’t really answer that, I am clearly biased. Being with a wolf is the best if you ask me but that’s because I’m also a wolf. I never had a relationship consisting of more than hand holding and one kiss before I got turned so my experience with this whole relationship thing and wolves is clearly one-sided. For me, I know I can be rough and T will heal and so will I. But every wolf is different and there are stories about humans and wolves and they worked out. Really, Nols, this is something you have to figure out. It all boils down to the character of the person in the end.”  
“I just…,” Nolan stopped himself. “I’d say it’s pretty difficult dating somebody not involved in the supernatural business. When I tell people I’m a hunter they usually think I’m hunting deer.”  
“Which is not that far off if you ask Malia,” Liam muttered with a thoughtful look and Ever snorted and almost dropped the green pearls on her bracelet. Nolan gave him a flat look and the Alpha grinned innocently.  
“But, for real, Li, you dated before Theo, right? How did you experience that when it wasn’t with people involved in the pack?”  
Liam carefully fiddled with the strands of his bracelet and made sure he didn’t drop any stone. He finally replied: “It was difficult. I dated humans with no idea about the supernatural world and when we were…you know…busy...my wolf breaks through in those moments. My eyes flash, my claws come out, my fangs grow. I always had to pull myself back and this was tiring. On another note, a pack dynamic is so different than a normal clique’s. I had one of my boyfriends ask me why me and Theo were so close and he always rolled his eyes when I told him it was because we’ve been through so much. It wasn’t like I could tell him so he probably thought I was being dramatic.”  
“Or he was just jealous?” Ever suggested and Nolan laughed.  
Liam shrugged casually. “Maybe. Don’t care, those relationships clearly never lasted and now I have my wonderful boyfriend forever.”  
“You are the cutest. Is it possible your hearteyes grow every day?” Ever giggled and Liam smiled. She was probably right.

“Back to the topic at hand, if you fall in love you fall in love, no matter who or what the person is. That’s how I see it. However, I have to admit, I’d rather like someone in the known of the supernatural,” Ever confessed. “I know about witches who never told their partners and then they got a child and suddenly the child did magic and chaos ensued.”  
“I have thought about this as well. Before I got with Dore, I thought about marrying a woman and having kids with her. The chances of my kids being werewolves as well are high so I would have needed a partner knowing about werewolves. I don’t have this problem anymore but I still remember thinking about this. Back then when I was pretty sure Theo wasn’t in love with me.”  
“It is still unbelievable how both of you dorks missed the way you looked at each other for so long. It was one of the first things I noticed and I asked Sadie and Maya if you two were fucking at least.”

Liam laughed loudly. “Theo was jealous of Sadie. So jealous he made it very difficult for her to connect with us. Back then I thought he was afraid I was replacing him as a friend with her because he thought I had a crush on her but now I know better.” He snickered.  
“Maya told me Theo actually fantasized about the kids you and Sadie would have and how pretty they would be.” Ever giggled again and almost dropped her bracelet when it turned into full laughter.  
Liam made a face. “I love Sadie. As much as a little sister. She is pretty, yes, but I’m not getting between her and Maya and besides…she has green eyes as well but hers are not as pretty as his.”  
“Awww!” Nolan and Ever cooed in unison and Liam rolled his eyes.

“Okay, just for the fun of it, what’s the thing about Theo you love the most? Either look wise or what he does, how he acts, everything goes,” Nolan inquired and Ever looked just as curiously at their Alpha while Liam grew very silent. What did he love the most about his mate? There were so many things it was hard to answer this question entirely.  
“I’d say that he’s not afraid of my anger. My IED is something I struggled with for the longest time and I had people try to reign me in but they shied away when I lashed out. Theo? He laughs in my face, he plays with it, and simply says _if you’re angry then I’m an asshole and tease you_. He never backs down and I never saw him afraid. He makes it seem lighter. We snarl at each other but moments later we joke around again. It helps me cope better with it. And his loyalty which may sound strange considering where we came from. But after he came around and sided with us I could always count on Theo being on my side, fighting by my side. I am happy he’s part of my pack and not only because we’re together now. He was always ready to support me as Alpha, be my first Beta, bitten or not. I know some of my exes didn’t understand the bond we share but I love the bond Theo and I had since becoming friends and we continuously deepened it, added more layers.”

“Which brings us back to the topic of dating people outside the pack. At this point, I could not imagine dating someone not being part of the pack,” Nolan admitted.  
“So, Nolan needs a boyfriend in the pack. Mike and Tim are still not taken.”  
“I am pretty sure they take each other or at least are on their way of going there. Yes, we joke about being the triad but I’d like somebody for myself only.”  
“Well, then it’s simple: You fall in love with a guy and Liam gives him the bite,” Ever suggested and tied her bracelet.  
“Hah, not a chance! I won’t toss the bite on anybody. I know how this feels and while it led to great things, the feeling itself was horrible.”  
„That would have been your chance of being the werewolf version of Cupid and you’re refusing? Selfish, Lee, selfish.” Ever shook her head and Nolan laughed hysterically at Liam’s face and possible also the image of Liam in a diaper and with little wings.  
“Nolan’s a great guy, I am sure he will manage to find a decent guy and when it happens he will either be a supernatural being himself or be open to this world,” Liam stated and shook his head. “Werewolf Cupid, seriously?”  
The witch just smirked and Liam continued with his bracelet when he got no answer.

They worked a while longer, chatting and bantering for a while, until Koda sprinted over, leash between his teeth and tail wagging. He sat down and expectedly looked at Liam. He chuckled.  
“Want to go for a walk?”  
Koda yipped and Liam kissed his head but got up and left his bracelet behind. “See you later,” he said to Nolan and Ever who made no move to get up as well so Liam figured he would walk the dogs alone. He whistled. “Aka!”  
The grey dog came running from where he had laid in the sun and barked happily. Koda jumped up, dropped the leash, and the two dogs started playing while Liam picked up the leash and started walking. The puppies either followed him or ran before him, anyway they were moving.

Liam chose a different path than the one to the waterfall, just to explore a different area of the woods. It led him deeper into it and the thick branches shielded him from the hot sun beating down. Liam inhaled the herb scent of earth, various trees, and just summer. Being on a beach was fine but Liam liked being in a forest way more.  
The puppies brought him a stick each and Liam entertained himself by throwing them as far as he could and watch the pups going chase. They were happily yipping and barking and running around, given how bad they had looked when Theo and Liam found them this was such a happy sight. They were healthy and happy, thanks to the loving care of the pack. Aka and Koda also had grown again and looked more like a wolf every day. Some people mistook them for wolves and pulled away kids and dogs in fear and were pleasantly surprised when those two turned into very cuddly puppies.

Aka yipped and carried his stick proudly while he trotted next to Liam. The nineteen-year-old petted him and threw Koda’s stick for him to fetch again. They were already that far in the forest they didn’t saw any trace of the resort again; it was just them and the nature around them.  
“That’s nice, isn’t it?” Liam asked Aka and Aka brushed his head against Liam’s in silent agreement. Liam smiled and knelt down to pet him and give him tummy rubs. Koda joined them soon enough and licked Liam’s hand before Liam also petted him and played with them both.

They played around some more and walked a bit further into the woods before they returned and finally landed back towards the resort in a slightly different way than before. He happened to land behind Theo, Mike and a third guy chatting away. They obviously came back from their rafting tour and were heading towards the resort as well. Engrossed in their talking they had not even realized Liam was walking behind them and he saw no need to alert them to his presence. Mike was a bit further in front but Theo and the other guy walked slower and talked animatedly. Liam caught parts of their conversation, they talked about books and movies. Both shared the same taste and so they could talk and talk for what seemed like hours and even laugh together. All fine and dandy, Liam had no problem with Theo making new friends, but what he didn’t like was how close the guy was to Theo. Their shoulders were touching and he was smiling and laughing. That dude was flirting with Liam’s man!

Jealousy flared up in him and Liam bit his lip. He wanted to march over, get between them, and introduce himself as Theo’s boyfriend but he held himself back. Theo didn’t deserve a scene by his jealous boyfriend, it surely would ruin their vacation. But he glared holes into the stranger’s head and wished for a hole to open and swallow that guy.  
Koda growled lowly and Liam looked down. “Yeah, I don’t like him either,” he whispered and Koda booped Liam’s hand with his nose.

The group arrived at the resort and Liam stayed back a little longer before he sauntered in as well. He saw Theo disappearing into their room and went to join Ever and Nolan again.  
“Welcome back!” Nolan waved and Liam smiled.  
“Thanks.” He glared at the retreating back of the guy but then decided to ignore him for now and just talk with some of his Betas.

Theo sat with them after a while as well.  
“Hey, tell us about your tour!” Ever prompted and Theo started to tell them how much fun it had been and what they saw during their tour. His eyes sparkled and he smiled happily and it made Liam smile as well. His boyfriend was happy and it was a gorgeous look on Theo’s face so he really liked it. But then Liam’s smile almost fell off his face.  
“Our guide, his name is Erik, knew so much about the animals living around and then we started talking and turns out he likes the same books as me and we even read some lesser known books and so we started talking about that. He is a really smart guy and comparing our insights on those books was really interesting.”

Liam felt torn. Theo either ignored the guy flirting with him or he simply didn’t realize it. See, Liam knew Theo was aware he was an attractive guy and he could charm others, over the years he had seen Theo flirt like no other, but Theo was also very distant and used to people avoiding him. He once told Liam it was the vibe he had going for himself, it held people at bay, so when he found someone he could talk about his interests with, it had to be amazing for the older. That meant either Liam could inform Theo about the flirting and give him a piece of his mind, maybe risk a fight, or he could keep his mouth shut and let Theo enjoy the new found friendship. Liam trusted Theo. The other guy could flirt all he wanted but Theo would stay faithful, Liam wasn’t even afraid of that. Theo may have his flaws but he wasn’t a cheater. 

******  
Liam had decided to keep his mouth shut and now it was biting him in the ass! The pack had gathered at the barn again in the evening and would you look at that? Erik was there as well and he was flirting shamelessly with Theo. Liam sat in his chair while Theo and Erik stood at the bar, and he had his feet stemmed on the floor to prevent himself from storming over.

Corey finished his drink and leaned forward. “If you don’t say something, I will. That’s my right as the best friend.”  
“Huh?” Liam acted as if he didn’t have a clue what was going on but Corey clearly wasn’t buying it.  
“That guy could only be more obvious when he tore his clothes off, threw himself on a table and yelled for Theo to take him. It is ridiculous how Theo doesn’t notice it.”  
“I think he is happy to have somebody to talk about all the things he likes. He can’t do this with me, so that’s what gives him joy. You’re not interrupting that!”  
“Your mate is basically being harassed!” Corey hissed.  
“It’s not that bad.” Liam was not sure if he tried to convince Corey or himself. He tried to be calm, cool and collected but when he now looked over and saw Erik putting a hand on Theo’s shoulder, he gritted his teeth. _Theo deserves a friendship_ , he reminded himself but his fists clenched.  
“Know what? I think I will go to my room, play on my phone a bit, and then go to sleep.” He rose so abruptly, his chair almost fell over. Corey cast him a worried glare.  
“Liam?”  
“I’m fine. Let him enjoy the intellectual talk. If he asks, tell him I was tired.”

Liam left the table behind and pointedly avoided looking at the bar again before he fled the barn and hastily walked towards the room he shared with Theo. Inside he walked straight into the bathroom and splashed cold water onto his face. It helped him calm down just a tiny bit.

Looking at his reflection Liam sighed. “You’re not interfering, you will let Theo make new friends and don’t destroy it with your jealousy. Maybe that guy just doesn’t know he has a boyfriend yet. If he knows he surely will stop hitting on T.”

He dried his face and walked back into the room to relax. Liam read a bit in the Alpha’s journal, then he tried to play a game on his phone but found it made him too aggravated so he grabbed some pencils and paper and started to draw whatever his mind came up with. 

A sudden tightness in his chest made him pause. What was going on? He was not doing anything exhausting right now, why did his lungs felt like they were squeezed tightly? A distant feeling of dizziness mixed with it as well and Liam felt his palms getting sweaty. He wasn’t the problem but what…Theo!  
The ringtone of his cellphone made him snap up and he almost dropped it in his haste to answer the call. Maya’s caller ID was flashing on the screen.  
“Maya, what’s going on?”  
“It’s Theo. That Erik guy tried to kiss him and now Theo’s freaking out. Liam, he’s having a full-blown panic attack right now and he’s close to an asthma attack as well. Nothing we do helps him.”  
Liam was already on his way out. “Where are you?” He growled.  
“Behind the barn.”  
He didn’t bother saying goodbye, just ended the call and started running. Theo needed him and the closer he came the more he felt Theo’s panic through their bond.

Liam rounded the corner and there he was, his mate, crouched down and with his back pressed against the wall of the barn, head in his hands and whimpering. Corey and Mike were crouched in front of him and tried to calm him down but one sniff at the sour smell in the air and Liam didn’t even need the bond to know Theo was completely lost in the panic. He whispered frantically about “Liam…breaking up…he will hate me.” And repeated it over and over again.  
The young Alpha fell to his knees in front of Theo and Corey and Mike hurried out of his way. “Theo, I’m here. Theo.” Liam grabbed Theo’s wrist and tried to make the older look at him. Theo whimpered again and pressed his eyes shut, lost in his attack. Liam had seen him having panic attacks after his nightmares and it always tore at his heart to see the man he loved going through it.

He now gripped the back of Theo’s neck and flashed his eyes. “Theo,” he prompted again and in his voice mixed the Alpha tone. His voice got deeper while he tried to reach his Beta. It worked. Theo’s eyes snapped open and glowed golden, unfocused for several seconds but then he looked at Liam. “I’m here,” Liam told him calmly, “You need to breathe, baby. Focus on my breathing.” He inhaled and exhaled slowly and deliberately so Theo could follow his breathing pattern. Theo listened to what his Alpha was saying and his breaths slowed down. Having his Alpha take over and order him had helped him a lot. Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out the inhaler. He still carried this around for any emergency. “Need it?”  
Theo grabbed it with shaky hands and used it. When he lowered it and he could breathe properly again, a strangled sob left his throat. “I’m sorry, Liam.”  
His words were slurred and only then Liam noticed the smell of alcohol emitting from him. “You’re drunk,” he realized. It had been overshadowed by the chemosignals being all over the place but there was no denying it. And a look over his shoulder confirmed his suspicion. “Did you all drink?”  
“We partied probably a bit too hard. That guy Erik is an asshole but he surely could hold his liquor.” Mike rubbed his neck helplessly.  
“Did he drink the same wolfsbane infused drinks as you?” Liam asked.  
“No, I made sure of that.” Ever shook her head.  
“That’s something,” Liam mumbled and then returned his attention to Theo again. He grabbed his shoulders and helped him get up. Theo swayed and Liam slung one arm around his waist to support him. “Time to get you home. And you others go to bed as well, we surely don’t need any more party tonight.”  
“Yes, Alpha,” they all muttered solemnly and quietly followed Liam and Theo. The usually short way was a bit longer this time with a staggering mate by his side but they managed. Theo mumbled “Sorry” all the time and Liam really had no idea what he exactly was sorry for but in his current state Theo would not really be able to answer that.

Inside their room, Liam gently maneuvered Theo into the bathroom. “I’m sorry, Alpha. Please don’t hate me,” Theo muttered again and when he looked at Liam the nineteen-year-old was shocked to see tears streaming down his face.  
He stroked the tears away. “I need you to get a bit soberer and then we discuss this,” Liam explained gently and stripped Theo of his shoes, sock, jeans, and shirt and then made him sit in the shower while he turned the cold water on. Theo whined when the water hit him but leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. He only opened them after moments passed and he looked more focused than before.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered and looked at his hands. “I didn’t want this to happen.”  
“What exactly happened and what are you sorry for? I don’t understand, Theo. Maya called me and said Erik tried to kiss you and you were having a panic attack. I came as fast as I could.”  
“That’s it, that’s what happened. We talked and suddenly he leaned in and tried to kiss me and I am so, so sorry about that. Please, don’t break up with me.” He dared to look at Liam and the panicked look in his mate’s eyes broke Liam’s heart. Before he could really process it, he had sat in front of Theo under the shower and didn’t care how wet his clothes got.  
“Why should I break up with you?” This was the less thing he would ever want.  
“Because he almost kissed me. I ducked away and pushed him back but he claimed I wanted it too and that I was thirsty for it because my boyfriend clearly wasn’t bringing it. Liam, please, I didn’t want him to kiss me!”

“Theo, stop. He tried to kiss you, okay. Well, not okay from his part if he knew you were taken but I would never be mad at you for it. You said you pushed him away, I believe you. Baby, I know you are faithful, I trust you. I would never break up with you over such a situation. If you had kissed somebody else, then yes, we would have to talk about it, but not in such a situation.” He laced their fingers together. “Is this why you had a panic attack? Because you thought I would break up with you?”  
Theo rubbed his eyes with the ball of his hand. “I’m drunk and I was scared you would be angry at me. Losing you is my fear. I just freaked out.” He let his hand fall onto his lap and blinked at Liam. “I thought we were developing a friendship, same taste in books, movies, and music. I had no idea he wanted more than that. Usually, I’m so good at reading people in this regard but that one caught me off guard.”  
“I can’t really blame him for wanting to kiss you, you’re gorgeous, baby. But I blame him for making a move on a taken guy. Though we all saw him flirting with you, you were the only one not noticing it. Maybe because you were so happy you had someone with the same interests.”  
Theo frowned. “But why didn’t you say anything when you noticed it?”  
“I didn’t want to interfere with your new friend because I was jealous.” Liam shrugged and put a hand in the back of Theo’s neck. His thumb caressed the skin before he pulled him closer. “Besides, I would have been ready to fight for you and show you I’m better anyway,” he joked softly, just to make Theo smile again. It worked and he was rewarded with a little smile before their lips met in a loving short-lived kiss. Liam tasted the alcohol and it reminded him Theo was still not completely sober.

So when they pulled away, he got to his feet and held both hands out for Theo to pull him up as well. Theo accepted and let Liam help him to his feet before the Alpha turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around Theo’s naked upper body. “Let’s get you to bed so you can sleep everything off. Be assured I love you and will never break up with you.”  
Theo smiled shyly. “I love you too.” He carded his wet hair back and that’s when Liam noticed the bracelet he made earlier that day wrapped around Theo’s wrist. “That’s the bracelet I made today!”  
“I know.” Theo looked at it and gently tugged at it. “Ever said you left it behind when you walked the dogs but I really liked it and didn’t want it to go missing. You can have it back.”  
“No, keep it, it looks good wrapped around your wrist.” Liam smiled and then dried Theo’s hair and his shoulders with the fluffy towel.

He was concentrated on his work but a fleeting glimpse at the way Theo looked at him made Liam halter. “What?”  
Theo shook his head in wonder. “You are so freaking beautiful, you know that? Erik might look okay but you are absolutely stunning. Like wow. I’m the luckiest man on the planet.”  
Liam felt his cheeks flame after Theo’s words and he coughed. “You’re drunk.”  
“No. I mean yes, I am, but that is the truth. I’m just not able to express it like that when I’m not completely wasted.”  
“You compliment me quite often, not just when you’re drunk.” Liam was still blushing, he felt the heat radiating from his cheeks. Theo smiled and cupped his face with both hands.  
“Should tell you this more often.”  
“Uhm…” Liam had no idea what to say or how to react. Theo complimented him but such strong compliments made him blush and lost for words. “We should go to bed and continue our talk tomorrow.”  
Theo nodded. “Okay.” Yet he stole a little kiss from Liam and then watched Liam strip from his wet clothes and pull him back into the room. They changed into dry pajamas and then crawled under the cover. Theo snuggled close to Liam and Liam wrapped both arms around the love of his life.  
“Good Night, Alpha,” Theo mumbled while he closed his eyes.  
“Good Night, my wonderful Beta,” Liam whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed I hinted quite a few things in this chapter. Can you find them all? :D No, I'm joking (however if you want to try and guess, feel free^^)  
> I'd love to hear what you think will happen next or hear what you would like to happen next. It's always fun getting this type of review from my amazing readers.  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter, writing jealous Liam was fun and we will see more of it, that I can tell you.  
> Until next times, guys, love you all!!♥♥♥


	44. Unpredictable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam and Erik face off against each other. The pack goes home and something completely unexpected happens...

After last night had ended so emotional, Liam was looking forward to a fun day with his pack at the amusement park. It was a long time since he ever went to one of those parks and the childlike part of his personality was excited. He and Theo had gotten ready in the morning and then left their room to have breakfast where the other members of the pack joined them one after another.

“How is he this morning?” Mason asked Liam while they both grabbed bowls and filled them with cereal.   
Liam looked over at their table where Theo sat, drank coffee, and talked to Tim and Sadie. “Better than last night. I hopefully made him understand I will not leave just because someone else tries to kiss him. But it also made me realize again how deep his fear of loss is.”  
“It’s kinda understandable. I mean, almost all his life he only has been used and manipulated, never had a good thing for himself. I can only imagine how hard it must be to change the mindset everything is going to fall apart again.”  
“Yeah.” Liam sighed softly. “I just hope I can make him see I’m not going to leave him ever again and this is not falling apart. Sometimes I worry if I’m the right person for this.”  
“You are definitively the right person, let me tell you. Because you have a big heart and you just care about people, if they want it or not. It’s one of your strongest qualities. Also, Theo looks at you like you hung the moon, the stars, and like you are the reason this world is turning. I highly doubt anybody or anything else could make him happier than being with you.”  
“Thanks, Mase.” Liam smiled at his best friend and Mason just squeezed his shoulder.  
“What can I say? I know you since we were kids, I know about what you excel at and at what not.” Mason returned the smile warmly. 

Liam looked over again and caught Theo looking at him. The older’s eyes lit up and he smiled at his boyfriend which made Liam’s stomach flip in happiness. They had been together for months but he was falling more and more in love with Theo every day. 

When he returned to their table after he gathered some food for himself, Theo still talked with their Betas but his hand went on Liam’s knee without even looking. Liam continued to eat but put one hand over Theo’s and gave it a soft squeeze. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Theo smiling and after last night, a happy Theo was all he wanted right now.

 “I am so excited about the amusement park. I love amusement parks!” Tim was absolutely excited and Liam believed him without any doubt. He just needed the beaming smile from his Beta and to hear his fast heartbeat and smell his chemosignals to know this was more than true.  
“I want to try every ride! The rollercoaster, the log flume, everything!”  
“I’m not going on any rollercoasters! I always puke on those things. If not from the ride alone, then after I see how my hair looks like afterward.” Sadie stroked her long blond locks to make a point.  
“You could cut them to contain the damage,” Mike said and gently grabbed a few strands of her hair. She raised a clawed hand in his direction.  
“Come near my hair with anything even remotely close to a scissor and I will slice you open.”  
“The only things Sadie does to her hair is dying it,” Liam smirked and she pointed at him in warning.  
“I can still tackle you!”  
“Try.” The young Alpha kept on grinning and Theo looked back and forth between them.   
“This seems like an inside joke.”  
“It is an inside joke.” Liam smiled at his mate. “Happened while you were in Alaska.”  
“Hm, I missed quite a few things while being away from home, huh?” Theo smirked and then pulled Liam into a sweet kiss. “And mostly I missed being close to you,” he whispered after that and when he kissed Liam’s cheek.  
“But you had a great time and you can back unharmed, that’s all that matters.”  
“Damn, Liam, so mature. That’s sexy.” Theo laughed softly and squeezed Liam’s leg. 

******  
The amusement park was on the other end of the resort, close enough so they could walk after breakfast and in case they needed to go back fastly. Liam could not think of a reason why they would have to but it was still good to know.

There were already a few people waiting in lines in front of the pay kiosks and the pack joined one of them. Behind the kiosks you saw one of the rollercoasters, heard the screams and yells coming from the people riding it, you heard the splashes of the nearby log flume, Liam was excited. The weather was also great, not too cold but not too hot, perfect for a full day outside.

“Oh, this gonna be great.” He wrapped his arms around Theo’s waist and put his chin on his mate’s shoulder.   
"Yeah.” Theo smiled while he studied the rollercoaster. “This will be fun. Think they have a tunnel of horror here as well?”  
“Horror, really? You need more horror than our usual life?” Liam teased his boyfriend softly and gently tugged on the jeans jacket Theo wore.  
“It’s more the thrill of the ride, you know? I also know this is not real. Don’t make fun of me, puppy.”  
“Am not.” Liam shook his head and grinned and Theo rolled his eyes but smiled in the end and wrapped both arms around Liam’s waist to pull him close.   
“You’re lucky you’re cute, puppy.”  
“I consider myself lucky, thank you very much.” 

Theo shut him up by kissing him and Liam absolutely had no problem with returning the kiss. His hands slipped under Theo’s jacket and pressed against his back to keep their bodies close together. Theo licked his lips and Liam willingly opened them before his tongue darted out and played with Theo’s.

Like always, when Theo kissed him, Liam forgot everything around himself, where they were, what they wanted to do, so when an unfriendly voice sounded up and brought him back to reality, it felt like a cold shower.

“There are other people waiting in line, can you move your asses?”

Liam’s inner wolf snarled. That voice, that annoying voice! He felt Theo tense in his arms and smelled his mate’s chemosignals turning sour. They had broken the kiss and the mated couple slowly turned their heads. Erik was sitting in the pay kiosk the pack had waited in line before and had a peeved look on his face. The people in front of them had already gotten their tickets so the pack was up next and Liam and Theo were really blocking the way but Liam would take a wild guess and say that was not the reason for Erik being pissed. He took one quick look at Theo who had visible paled, then his grip on Theo’s shirt tightened. It took all for Liam to contain himself and not punch that asshole. 

He took some deep breaths and closed his eyes, counted to ten, then he released Theo and stepped closer to the kiosk.   
“You are Erik.”  
Erik scoffed and pointed overly dramatic at his nametag. “And you are the boyfriend.” He let his eyes travel up and down Liam’s appearance. “I can’t see how the hell I lost to _you._ ” The way he spat it out sounded like Liam was some nasty insect or something.   
“Hey!” His Betas chimed in, ready to defend their Alpha’s honor.   
“Stay out of this!” Liam barked and pulled out his wallet to slam money in front of Erik. “Just give me the tickets.  _My boyfriend_ and I would like to spend a fun day with our friends.”  
Erik just glared but then took the money and handed Liam the tickets as well as his change. With one last glare, Liam bypassed the kiosk and finally stepped into the amusement park.

He inhaled loudly through his nose. What an asshole!  
“I’m sorry.” Theo stood next to Liam and rubbed his neck with an apologetic look on his face.  
“What are you sorry about? That guy tried to kiss you without your consent and he clearly doesn’t care about you being a taken man. It’s not your fault at all, so stop apologizing for something you had no influence on, okay?” Liam said firmly and Theo looked like a kicked puppy, insecurity clear in his eyes. Liam’s shoulders fell. “Hey.” He stepped up to Theo and took his hands in his own. “I am not mad at you, I know you didn’t tell him to kiss you. So, please stop feeling like it’s your fault. There are asshole people who do things to others without consent and that’s their fault alone. Not yours, okay? I want to have a great time at this amusement park with my mate and my Betas, I’m not allowing this douchebag to destroy this.”   
Theo nodded when Liam was finished and Liam just smiled and kissed him. “Everything’s okay, baby.”

His mate tried a small smile and Liam smiled back before he addressed the rest of his pack. “Let’s have fun!”  
“I grabbed a map of the whole park.” Tim waved said map before he unfolded it. Corey and Nolan flanked him to also take a look at the many rides offered here.   
“There are like five roller coasters. And there is an auto scooter. This is great. A stunt show happens several times a day, there is a petting zoo for small kids, guys, this will be an awesome day.” Corey was ecstatic and Mason beamed at his husband. Liam grinned and felt Theo lace their hands together. He looked at his boyfriend and they shared a loving smile.  
“Just for the record, guys, we don’t have to stick together all day, okay? Everyone can do whatever they want to do.” Liam saw it as his duty to remind his Betas of that and they thanked him with beaming smiles before running off. “Seriously, I became a dad at the age of nineteen.”   
“Does that surprise you?” Theo asked him and the amusement was unhidden in his voice. Liam glanced at him.

“Huh?”  
“You’re the Alpha, that makes you the dad. You also have a very caring nature when you’re not being reckless in terms of your own safety. Basically, you were made for leading a pack.”   
Liam had never thought about himself leading a pack when he had been just a Beta in Scott’s pack. But then last summer happened and it had changed everything. And then he realized:  
“Oh my god!”  
“What?” Theo looked stunned by Liam’s exclamation.   
“I’m an Alpha for almost a year already!”  
“Seriously, Lee, I thought something serious was going on. You’re only realizing this now?”

Theo didn’t seem fazed by this and started walking towards the first ride on their way, the auto scooter. Liam hurried to keep pace with him.  
“Yeah, I do. You know, I’m slow.”  
“Stop talking about yourself like that!” Theo said harshly and Liam blinked.  
“Well, it’s true. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed.”  
“Liam, I swear to god, if you don’t stop talking about yourself like that, I will punch you. No one talks about my mate like that, not even my mate himself.”  
"Uhm, okay?” Liam was at loss here. He never had expected Theo to react like that. It was true, after all.  
“I hate to hear you say things like that. You are smart, stop telling yourself you’re not. You do well in your classes, you are good at giving advice, all those things would not be possible if you were as dumb as you say you are.” He didn’t give Liam a chance to answer and just kissed him before pulling him along the way. “Now, let’s enjoy the rides.”

And Liam realized again, they both had their fair share of insecurities and needed each other to feel better about them, to make each other realize they were not as bad as they considered themselves to be. He smiled. “Thank you.”

******  
The amusement park was awesome and even though all rides were Wild West themed, it was insanely fun to check them all out. With Liam’s rule, they didn’t have to stick together, the pack soon broke into smaller groups and explored the park. Liam was challenged by Ever, Mike and Corey to an auto scooter fight while Sadie, Mason, and Theo took many pictures and videos of them before the group switched. Mike won in the first round, Theo won the second round and laughed at the pouting Sadie. The blonde quickly ran off, however, claiming she found an awesome spot to take pictures before taking yet another ride. Mike, Corey, and Mason somehow disappeared into one of the many stores selling all kind of merch, but Liam was not in the mood for any shopping right now. He rather wandered around a bit more, with Theo by his side.

“This really nice. And we have extremely good weather, this makes it even better.” Theo held his face in the sun and Liam watched him with a smile.  
“Yep, a perfect day. Glad to see you happy again.”   
Theo tilted his head and looked at Liam. “Last night, you acted so maturely, it was insane. I was just too drunk to really notice it and too freaked out but now that I think about it, you really were. Mature, mature little Alpha.”  
“Are you making fun of me?” Liam laughed. Theo just grinned innocently and then sat on a bench before he pulled Liam on his lap.   
"No, I’m admiring you”, he muttered and then kissed Liam deeply.   
“There are kids here at the park”, Liam reminded his lover but wrapped both arms around Theo’s neck and replied to the kiss. He felt Theo smile and could not fight his responding smile back.

Both of their phones chimed suddenly and broke them apart. That and the reason they needed to breathe after they had kissed so deeply. Liam fished his phone out of the pocket and laughed at the picture of Mason with a giant cowboy hat on his head which Corey sent to every pack member.   
“They are silly.”  
“Hm.” Theo nodded and kissed Liam’s cheek. “Although I do have to say, I like having some time with you alone right now. I love the pack but I love you even more. Let them be silly somewhere else for a little while.”  
The love confession made Liam smile happily and he gave Theo a quick kiss before he pocketed his phone again. “Would you like to go on another ride? There should be a log flume nearby.”  
“Sure.” At Theo’s nodding, Liam got to his feet and pulled his mate up from the bench by his hand. He didn't let go while they made their way towards the log flume. 

The ride was a bit off the center so not many people were gathered there which meant Theo and Liam didn’t have to wait long until they could sit into one of the little round boats and sail down the river. It was one of those gentler rides with mechanical figures on the sides teaching a story about the Wild West. Perfect to just sit back, let the sun shine on your face, and enjoy the day.  
Liam stretched his legs out. “This is nice”, he said dreamily and rested his head against the padded headrest of the boat. Theo next to him hummed. Liam turned his head and watched his boyfriend with a soft smile. Theo looked at the mechanical figures left and right, seemingly lost in the story they’ve been telling. “You’re pretty calm about the Erik thing”, he suddenly said and turned his head to look at Liam.  
 Liam shrugged. “What can I say? I’m growing up.”  
Theo’s lips twitched as if he wanted to laugh but couldn’t bring himself to do so in the end. “I’m serious, Liam.”  
“So am I. Trust me, I want to jump him and punch that arrogant smile off his face but that would only lead to more problems. I also know I won because I have you, that’s all that matters.” Theo didn’t seem really convinced everything was good so Liam reached over and laced their fingers together. “I’m also not holding a grudge against you or think you cheated, you know that, right?”  
“I think so.” Theo looked unsure.  
“Theo, everything is fine. Stop worrying, there are no bad feelings between you and me. I am not angry at you. Everything is fine. Between you and me, I mean.”  
“Nothing left unsaid?” Theo asked and Liam shook his head.  
“Nothing left unsaid between us, all out in the open.”

He looked at their laced fingers and sighed internally. This wasn’t quite right and he knew it. In regards to the Erik situation, everything had been said, but there was something else.  
“Okay, no, wait, I have to tell you something. Nothing regarding Erik, so don’t start freaking out again, there is something else.”  
Liam couldn’t care less about the cowboys and horses left and right, he just decided to be completely honest.  
“It’s something I haven’t told Mason either and you have to promise you won’t be mad at me.”  
Theo frowned. “What happened? Did you do something?”  
He shook his head. “I have…How should I word this? I have the feeling something is going to happen. I don’t know what exactly this will be I just know something is coming and I have to be prepared. It’s not necessarily a threat, doesn’t feel like one, but I still want to keep both eyes open for anything that could come our way. I just decided not to tell the pack because I didn’t want you guys to worry. And now I fear like this might get between us and I want to prevent this from happening.”  
Theo took Liam’s words in and his frown deepened. “What do you mean, something will happen? What gives you that feeling? Another dream from your wolf?”  
“No, I just have this feeling. It suddenly started, like a cackle in the air. Started somewhere around Las Vegas. The only other person who knows is Ever. She feels it too. Something is shifting in the air. Maybe it’s nothing, maybe it’s a big thing, we don’t know yet but we look out for it.”  
“That’s why you were so distracted at the airport and constantly tried to keep us together as a group. And also the reason you’re not touching any alcoholic beverages”, Theo realized and Liam sighed.  
“I need a clear mind if I want to protect my pack. I’m the Alpha.”  
“We’re your Betas, we have the right to know.”  
“While you’re usually right, I have to disagree on this. I don’t want you guys to constantly look over your shoulders and live in fear. If I find out what exactly is coming our way, I will inform you asap.” Liam shook his head again. “Please don’t fight me on this and please don’t be mad. I just try to be a good Alpha and keep you all happy and safe.”  
His plea made Theo inhale deeply and he grunted. He pulled Liam in a tight embrace. “Stubborn little Alpha”, Theo muttered into Liam’s ear and Liam chuckled. Then he jumped and squeaked when Theo tickled him.  
“That’s for not telling your mate! I have to know these things, if they’re bothering you or not or if they’re dangerous, it’s my duty as the Alpha’s mate.”  
“You’re right, you’re right, but please stop now!” Liam laughed and tried to ward Theo off. His boyfriend showed mercy and just pulled him into a long kiss.  
“You’re not mad?” Liam asked after they parted again and leaned their foreheads against each other.  
“No. Thanks for filling me in now, I appreciate it.”

They finished their ride shortly after and Liam realized he had no idea what the story had been about but he felt lighter. Sharing his thoughts with Theo made them more bearable and he felt readier to face whatever might happen. Hand in hand the couple wandered further into the park and passed some souvenir shops where they spotted Ever kneeling in front of a rack with name key chains.  
“Hey, did everybody abandon you?” Theo asked lightly and smiled at her.  
“I’d rather say I wandered off in search for my name. The joys of having a rare one.”  
“Liam and Theo can totally relate.” Liam nodded solemnly and Theo smirked at his mate.  
“Hush you. I found Tim several times already, as well as Mike and Mason. Corey is there too, Maya seems sold out, but I have to accept the fate of never finding my name on any of those things.”  
She got to her feet again. “And you? Just wandering around and enjoying the company?”  
“We just came from one of the softer log flumes. Oh, and I told Theo about our feeling, Ever. I think you should know that.”  
Ever looked surprised but then smiled gratefully. “So I can talk with both of you and don’t have to watch my words when Theo’s around?”  
“Yeah, he knows everything we know at this point.”  
“What about Mason and Corey, will you tell them as well? As your consultant and your emissary they should be in the known”, Theo told Liam.  
Liam sighed and pushed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I agree but they’re newlyweds and even my brain tells me they should know, I can’t help but remember the nightmares Mason had several times back in Beacon Hills and then I can’t bring myself to taint their happiness with my worries or feelings. It just doesn’t feel right to steal this from them.”  
“It’s a tough decision.” Ever agreed on this and smiled supportively at Liam. “But even if you’re not telling them right away, the minute it gets more concrete, you should let them know.”  
“I will”, Liam stated. “Now let’s find the others. No worries for today.”

******  
They had gathered at one of the many restaurants there and were waiting for their order. Mason and Liam had just filled two small bowls with salad from the salad buffet and passed the door leading outside when an obnoxious voice interrupted them.  
“I still don’t get what he sees in you.”  
Liam stopped dead in his tracks. He started to hate this voice. “Are you talking to me?” He faced Erik leaning against the door outside and taking a drag from his cigarette.  
“Of course I am. Are you not even able to tell if somebody is talking to you?”  
Liam growled lowly and took a step forward. Mason’s hand closed around his upper arm. “Liam, he’s not worth it.”  
Erik paid the other human no mind and let his eyes travel over Liam’s appearance. “If you were at least good-looking but you’re just _normal_. You’re not even tall and maybe you have muscles but that’s all you have.” Erik was right about the height, Liam would give him that. Erik was taller than him and Theo but that meant nothing.  
“Good thing Theo doesn’t just care about the appearance of people”, he snapped.  
“But you’re not even smart, to begin with. I talked to Theo and saw how eager he was to finally have somebody on is level he could talk to about movies and books. When was the last time you read?”  
Mason’s grip on Liam’s arm dropped but now he took a step closer to Erik. “Did you just call me best friend dumb?”  
“Mason, stop. You’re right, he’s not worth it. Let’s go.” Liam wanted to end this right here and leave the jerk standing there. But Erik was not having it.  
“I believe I did call him that. He is nothing more than a brainless idiot who doesn’t know how to say two intelligent sentences. I hope you’re at least a good fuck. Theo is missing a lot of things, which should be the minimum. Otherwise, I would pity him even more than I already do. Then again, he can’t be as smart as I thought he was since he’s still stuck with you and intends to keep it that way. A lousy life but he seemingly deserves it.”

Liam barely registered what happened next. He pushed his salad in Mason’s hand and then his fist collided with Erik’s nose. It sent him to the ground and he groaned in pain. “Fuck, are you crazy?”  
With another growl, Liam towered over him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “Say about me whatever you want but don’t you dare to insult my boyfriend! And if you ever put your filthy paws on him again I will do way more than just punch you.”  
His wolf was snarling inside him, angry at the guy who disrespected his mate like that, and Liam heard the familiar rush of blood in his ears, like every time his IED kicked in, and yet he heard a little voice in his head reminding him not to lash out. His fangs were not coming out, even though his jaw hurt from restraining the shift, his claws were still not out yet, his eyes were – hopefully – not flashing, Liam was reigning his anger in, guided by the little voice (which sounded a lot like his grandpa and Byron combined). He huffed out a breath and dropped Erik again.

His vision became clearer again, not as clouded as moments before, and he saw Mason staring at him and a waitress stepping out and giving a pointed look at Erik who scattered to his feet and fled the scene. Liam gulped. “Sorry.” She sure as hell didn’t like him punching her co-worker. But she giggled.  
“Erik had this coming. He’s an ass to most. I sure as hell aren’t mad at you punching him. He deserved that.”  
Liam blushed and Mason took pity on him and pulled him inside the restaurant again. “Damn, Lee.”  
“I know, I know.” He lowered his head in shame. “I got angry.”  
“Shut up, he had this coming. For what he did to Theo, for what he said. But you didn’t shift. You stayed completely human. I’ve never seen you in control like this. That was intense.” Mason shook his head in wonder.  
“I wanted to. Wanted to shift and rip him apart but I held myself back, thanks to the voice of reason in my head. Still, I punched him and shouldn’t have done that.”  
“You punched the motherfucker who tried to break you and Theo up and tried to kiss him without consent. Can’t really feel sorry for that one.”  
Liam was torn. He was still ashamed of his outburst but Mason was also right, he had kept control most of the time. And it had felt good to punch that asshole. He straightened his back. “Not to condone violence but it did feel good.”  
Mason grinned. “I bet it did.” 

He put one arm around Liam’s shoulder and laughed. “It was also funny to watch.”  
“Mason.” But Liam could not help and laugh himself while they walked back to their table. The pack had been chatting animatedly and had not caught glimpse of the heated exchange outside.  
“What are you laughing about?” Corey asked when he spotted Mason and Liam.  
“Liam punched Erik.” Mason giggled and slumped in his chair.  
“What?” Theo looked shocked and Liam shrugged, embarrassment flaring up again. He sat next to his mate and played with his salad. “He insulted you.”  
“He also called Liam dumb”, Mason added and Theo narrowed his eyes. “I still have to say Liam stayed amazingly in control, more than I have ever seen him. Our Alpha is really growing up. I feel like a proud father right now.” He ruffled his best friend’s hair and Liam shrieked.  
“The sad part is, we didn’t get to see”, Mike muttered.  
“Stop it. Violence is no solution and I shouldn’t have done it. It felt good, yes, but it was wrong.” Liam knew he had made a mistake and he felt kind of guilty for not really feeling sorry. Growing up was weird. He wanted to continue with his salad but then his head got pulled around and Theo kissed him.  
“I love you”, the Beta mumbled against his lips. “Thanks for defending me.”  
“Hm, I love you too. You don’t have to thank me for that, this is only natural.”

******  
They had checked out before going to the park and stored their bags in the cars right after so they could enjoy a fun day and then drive home immediately after. Everyone was exhausted, but it was the good kind of exhaustion, the kind where you were happy and sated after being outside the whole day and doing lots and lots of fun activities. The day had been tiring and they all were quieter than usual when driving. Liam had taken charge of driving Theo’s truck, with Mason, Corey, and Nolan in the backseat, and Theo riding shotgun. Corey and Mason were curled up together and fast asleep, Nolan leaned against the window and slept as well. Theo had been awake for the first forty minutes into the ride but when Liam glanced over at one point, he found his boyfriend slumped against the window, breath even and calm, eyes closed.  
Liam smiled. That his friends fell asleep while he was driving was a great compliment to his driving skills and it also made him happy as an Alpha. He was awake while most of his pack slept, a look in the rearview mirror showed Sadie in the passenger seat of his car also sleeping while Maya was driving. The quiet made Liam’s mind wander while he kept his eyes on the road. The sun was also setting and Liam loved driving during those times. It made everything a little bit more magical and melancholically.

He thought about the last year, what happened and what he already accomplished. He came such a long way from the Beta he had been in Beacon Hills, from the angry boy who had been tossed in a world way bigger than himself. His parents knew now, he didn’t have to hide such a big part of himself anymore, he was finally having the man he loved for years by his side, he had become a leader. Liam was sure, his seventeen-year-old self would be astonished by all the changes; heck even Liam today had a hard time wrapping his head around all of it sometimes.  
But it was true, he had accomplished all of that, mostly with the help of others, but it had shaped him, and every encounter Liam had made down the road had given him something, sometimes positive, sometimes negative. It all made him into the person he was today and he didn’t want to miss this. Sure, there were some experiences he would have rather not made along the way, seeing his friends die for example, but overall he was okay.  
It made him also realize something else. He liked himself. For probably the first time in his entire life, Liam liked himself and the kind of person he was. He knew, he had a lot to learn and a long way to go still, his anger was still a thing and all, but just like he recently proved, he was getting better at managing it, and he learned to cope with difficult situations better than before. He was getting better and that alone was a boost for his spirit, it made Liam smile.

******  
The arrival at home was as quiet as the ride. The Betas woke up again and gathered their things before making their way into the house and back to bed. It was late enough anyway, sleep was in order. Liam locked the front door and then walked into the kitchen to fill Koda’s and Aka’s bowls with water before he also dragged himself upstairs and into bed. Theo was already curled under the covers and just raised his arm so Liam could slip underneath when he finally came to bed. Liam smiled and kissed his cheek, then he closed his eyes and fell asleep only moments later.

Despite him being tired and falling asleep fast, Liam could not really sleep well. It wasn’t nightmares per se but images kept flashing of an injured Scott, Lori’s and Brett’s death, the sewers, Theo getting dragged to hell, the Ghost Riders, Monroe, the Berserkers, and Liam woke up every few minutes or so it seemed. His bones were aching to finally get rest but his mind would not stay silent. Liam sighed and ran his fingers through Theo’s hair. His boyfriend was cuddled close and thankfully didn’t wake up when Liam did. At least one of them could get their well-deserved rest. Liam sighed again and closed his eyes, willing to silence his mind and fall asleep for a few hours now. 

Next thing he knew he was woken up again but this time not because of the things he dreamed about. It was still dark in the room and despite being an Alpha, Liam needed a moment for his eyes to get used to the darkness. Then he pondered what had woken him up this time. His first guess had been Theo having a nightmare but his boyfriend was still sleeping peacefully, head against the crook of Liam’s neck and one arm tossed over Liam’s stomach, so that was out of the question. 

Liam listened. He had become quite good at making out the different heartbeats in his home and the breathing patterns of his Betas, it was easy for him to count if someone was missing or to notice if something was odd. It was then that he heard the soft footsteps on the wooden floor. Somebody was moving in his home but from the number of heartbeats, it had to be one of the pack members, not an intruder. 

Well, in a house filled with that many people it wasn’t unusual for somebody to wake up late at night and go to the bathroom or have a midnight snack in the kitchen. Liam still sat up and listened where the footsteps were going. Down the hallway for sure.  
“Liam?” Theo woke up when his arm moved after Liam sat up. “What’s wrong?”  
“Shh”, Liam whispered, “somebody’s awake.”  
Theo blinked and then groaned. “That’s not unusual, go back to sleep. They’re probably just hungry.”  
Yet something stopped Liam from laying back down. He strained his ears. “But, Theo, listen.”  
Theo raised his head again, even though he didn’t look happy about it. Down the stairs, through the hallway, and into the kitchen. “See? Midnight snack. Please, Liam, go back to sleep.” He yawned.  
Liam tilted his head and his eyes flashed when he partially shifted to hear even better. “Into the kitchen but no opening of the fridge door. Why not?”  
Theo grunted and hid his face in his pillow. “Maybe they want fruit. Liam, please, I am exhausted.”  
Liam tried to listen but could not hear more suspicious sounds. Funnily that made him only more suspicious and he left the bed.  
“You can’t be serious right now”, Theo grumbled behind him and Liam heard him shifting but paid him no mind.  
“I’m going to investigate. You can come with me or stay here, I don’t care.”  
“I swear to god, if we walk into this kitchen and one of our Betas is sitting there, eating a fruit salad, I will put the blame entirely on you and make fun of you for the next twenty years to come!” Theo muttered but rolled out of bed and followed Liam into the hallway and down the stairs.

They entered the kitchen but found nobody there and Liam frowned but then spotted the open door to the garage. He nodded over and Theo shrugged. Slowly they inched closer to the door and looked inside the dark garage. Moonlight fell through the small windows in the garage door and Liam could make out the opened driver’s door of Theo’s truck and a person sitting behind the wheel. He knew who it was before her scent hit his nose and he frowned.  
“Ever? What are you doing?”  
She didn’t reply and kept staring at the garage door instead, almost as if she had not heard him.  
“Ever?” Theo tried now but also got no reply. “Is she sleepwalking?”  
Liam shrugged. He wasn’t aware Ever was a sleepwalker but he had seen stranger things. His dad once told him to be careful and not wake up sleepwalking people too harshly, so Liam moved slowly until he stood in the open door right next to her seat.  
“Ever, hey”, he said softly and gently touched her arm.

It did wake her up, though he had not intended that, and she let out a high-pitched scream Lydia would be proud of. Liam staggered backward and would have fallen on his ass had it not been for Theo keeping him up. Moments later they heard sounds from above, fast footsteps, and then the rest of the core pack burst through the door.  
“Where’s the attacker?” Mason yelled, swinging his baseball bat dangerously. Corey next to him was gripping his lacrosse stick while the wolves all had their claws and fangs extracted and their eyes glowed.

They all stared at each other and looked around to whatever caused Ever to scream so loudly and wake up the entire house. Sadie finally spoke up: “What is going on? Why are you screaming as if somebody wanted to murder you?”  
“She screamed.” Liam pointed at Ever. His heart was beating wildly and the adrenaline still rushed through his veins. Ever had scared him and his body immediately kicked into the fight reflex. Thanks to Beacon Hills for that.  
Ever ran a hand through her hair and looked around. “Why am I not in my bed? Why am I in Theo’s truck?”  
“Good question. Could you please get out?” Theo was more scared about his truck, now that everybody seemed well.  
“I remember going to bed. Now I’m here. Why am I here?” Ever asked while she climbed out of the truck. She seemed deeply distressed by this and Tim reached out to rub her back in a comforting manner.  
“Did you ever sleepwalk before?” Maya inquired and Ever shook her head.  
“People don’t start to sleepwalk all of sudden, right? Or only when they’re under a lot of stress and pressure. Do you feel stressed or pressured?” Mike now asked and again Ever shook her head.  
“Sorry for waking you up, guys”, she muttered sadly. “And for scaring you, Liam.”  
“Nah, it’s fine, I’m glad you are okay.” Liam gave her a warm smile and then stepped aside so he could close the door but Theo stopped him. “Wait!”

The older climbed into his truck. “You inserted an address into my navigation device.”  
He was right, the little display was turned on and the blue starting point was pulsing, indicating the system was ready to guide the way. “So? What’s there waiting for you? Craving some midnight ice cream or coffee?” The ex-chimera tried to joke but neither Ever nor Liam felt like joking right now. She leaned in and inspected the touchscreen.  
“Never heard of this address before, I don’t even know where this is supposed to be.” She shivered. “Scary.”  
“Nah, not scary, you were just sleepwalking. Some sleepwalkers leave their houses and go somewhere else because they dreamt of it before. Maybe you did this as well.” Mike shrugged it off.  
“And why didn’t she go there? Aren’t sleepwalkers working on autopilot? She could have opened the gate and drive to her destination. What stopped her?” Corey asked and narrowed his eyes while he was thinking about it.  
“That Ever can’t drive stick?” Nolan offered a very solid explanation.  
“Probably.” Ever didn’t seem really convinced and neither was Liam. There was something strange…

“We should move to the kitchen and talk there.” The young Alpha had seen Ever shiver in her thin shirt and sleep shorts. “Maybe drink some hot tea.”  
“Speaking of hot, I wanted to get Ever a jacket from her room.” Maya stood in the doorway to the kitchen, jacket in hand. “Ever, what did you do to your mirror?”  
“What are you talking about?” Ever seemingly had no idea. Liam and Theo shared a look and then they left the garage and raced upstairs to find out what this was all about.

True to Maya’s words Ever’s standing mirror had been…decorated. Several letters written in lipstick were smeared all over the glass, the lipstick lying on the floor.  
“Don’t get me wrong, this looks like some sort of portal.” Mason shivered as well but Tim shook his head.  
“Not a portal. If she had just written the letters on the frame, then maybe yes, but she also wrote them right in the middle of the mirror. That more or less works as a barricade and blocks anyone, the entrance is not free.”  
Everyone stared at him and he coughed in embarrassment. “What? I like to read fantasy books.”  
“I didn’t want to summon a portal or give someone entrance. I don’t know why I did this or when I did this. I never sleepwalked before, how am I supposed to know that?” Ever defended herself.

Liam looked at Theo. This night turned out completely different than he had expected it and it seemed like their quiet time was over faster than expected.  
“I’m not really sure you exactly sleepwalked, Ever”, Theo said carefully.  
“You mean I did this while I was awake? This is impossible, Theo!”  
“No, I’m not saying you were awake. What I’m trying to get at is…Having somebody in trance and doing things is not really new for the Beacon Hills gang.”  
Mason made a curious sound. “You’re talking about Lydia?”  
Theo nodded. “She had those episodes and those either led to a dead body or something equally unsettling. And she also drew something or wrote something. Maybe those letters mean a word but nor a real word itself, just the shortened version of it. Like YMCA. It’s a shortened version of the name.”  
“But Lydia is a banshee”, Nolan chimed in.  
“And Ever is a witch. Both are influenced by certain things and Ever proved more than once she has certain feelings when something is going on. You, just as Liam, know something is currently going on, right?” He gave her a meaningful look and immediately Mason caught up on it.  
“What’s that supposed to mean?”  
Liam sighed. And then he explained everything.

“I can’t believe you kept this from us!” Maya was enraged.  
“I didn’t want any of you to worry. We still don’t know what all this is about!” Liam argued back. He had sat next to Ever on her bed but now he got to his feet.  
“Where are you going?” Corey asked.  
“Getting dressed. And then I’m driving to the address Ever typed in.”  
He saw the hesitation in his pack’s eyes and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not forcing anybody to come with me. If you want to stay here, that’s fine. I’m not mad.”  
“Yeah.” Mike scoffed. “We let our Alpha go there all alone.”  
“I’m coming with you for sure.” Ever jumped to her feet.  
“You’re running headfirst into the next supernatural mess”, Theo reminded them. He paused for a moment, then he continued: “Of course, we are coming with you.”

It only took some minutes for them all to get ready and then they were in the cars, with Theo’s truck taking the lead. Liam glanced at the display of the navigation device almost every second and the closer they got to the location he felt himself getting more and tenser. What would be waiting there for them? Another dangerous creature? Another something able to kill them all or make them disappear forever?

“I wrote all the letters down from Ever’s mirror but they don’t make sense.” Mason sat in the back seat and stared at the notepad he had scribbled everything down.  
“What letters do we have?” Liam had asked this already but maybe this time they would find a solution.  
“We have L, T, B, O, another T, R, I, R again, and E. I go with Theo’s explanation and say those are just a shortened term for something. Or the doubled letters are just a mistake. It doesn’t make sense.”  
Liam wanted to agree but Corey interrupted them. “Guys, look at that!” He pointed ahead and at the sky. The dark slowly turned into soft pink and orange light and would have been beautiful on any other day but now certain parts of the sky flickered like a candle in the wind.  
“What the hell is that?” Theo asked but as fast as it happened, it was gone again and the sky looked normal.  
“You saw that too?” Mike’s voice came from the speaker of Theo’s phone right next to the navigation system.  
“I have no idea what I just saw but I saw it”, Theo muttered and frankly, he was right. This got more and more mysterious the closer they got to their destination and when the system finally alerted them of their arrival, they confused.

“But, this is a forest.” They were in an empty parking lot right next to a big wooden wall showing off the different hiking paths in the area. One single street lamp cast a silver glow on the otherwise empty lot when the pack got out of their cars.  
“We drove here in the middle of the night, just because you needed some fresh air?” Sadie glared at Ever and she raised her hands in silent defense.  
“Liam wanted to drive here!”  
He felt the glances of his pack on his face while he stared at the dark forest. “It led us here and I think it’s for a reason. The only way to really find out is to go in there.” Liam pointed at the forest. It wouldn’t be his favorite choice but did he really have one, to begin with?  
Another flicker on the left side of the forest caught his eye and he pressed his jaw shut. The unknown fear of whatever was lurking there crept up on him and Liam hoped he didn’t tremble as much as he probably wanted to.  
“There’s another one of those things.” Tim pointed to the right. Close to the ground, nature flickered again. A little rabbit hopped towards it and when it passed the flicker it looked like his insides were turned outside. You saw his beating heart, muscles, and all the veins. Only for a split second, then it looked normal again and went on with his little bunny life, completely unharmed, and disappeared into the bushes.  
“None of you touches one of those things!” Liam ordered his Betas after he managed to gain control over his dropped jaw again. Just for the record, he hoped nobody actually planned on doing so anyway.  
“Still want to go into the forest?” Nolan glanced at Liam and sighed. “Course you do.” He had grabbed three flashlights at home which he now handed to Ever and Mason and kept one for himself.

They slowly inched towards the forest, careful to stay away from any flickers as far as possible. Liam had no idea where they were heading, they were just going in the direction those flickers were coming from. Even with their ability to see in the darkness, it was hard to make out the exact path and Liam flashed his eyes.  
“Keep a close eye on each other”, he instructed his pack and grabbed Theo’s hand. Theo squeezed his hand and it made Liam a tiny bit calmer to have his boyfriend by his side. “Thanks”, he mouthed at Theo and Theo squeezed his hand again to show he heard Liam.

The loud sound of screeching tires made them all jump and Sadie yelp in shock. “Was that a car?” Ever breathed out.  
“We’re in the middle of a fucking forest, how the hell did a car get here?” Mike hissed.  
“That didn’t even came from the street but somewhere out of the forest,” Maya growled.  
“Liam?” Mason had looked at his best friend for advice and found the young Alpha completely frozen, face pale. “Liam, are you okay?”

He was not okay. His thoughts were racing and he slowly pieced together what he knew at this point. There were so many impossible things, then again life has proved since several years nothing was impossible. But could it be? Was this real? It unfolded in front of his eyes and Liam should have probably been surprised it was him of all people who made the connection but he was too shocked at the moment. That one sound had brought so much up and suddenly it became one picture.

“Ever, the letters you wrote on the mirror, they make sense. It’s just not one word, it’s two. Names, to be exact.” Liam gulped.  
“What names?” The witch was surprised.  
Liam’s voice was shaking when he finally replied. “Brett and Lori. And the car you heard is the exact same car that ran them over. It’s what I heard when I was in the sewers.”

His reveal shocked everyone. His pack knew parts about the death of the two unknown wolves but not everything and Liam almost never talked about it. Even after three years, it was still a difficult topic. Now Liam wiped his eyes. He could not grieve right now, not when they were still figuring out was all this crazy shit was all about.  
“Let’s go. Feels like we’re getting closer.”  
He began to run deeper into the woods, not being able to walk slowly. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

The further they ran into the forest, nature around them flickering more often. They had to dodge several times to not run right through one of those but finally, they landed on what appeared the center of the flickering. A large clearing and right in the middle a larger flicker than any of the ones before. It almost looked as if somebody had drawn a watercolor painting of the clearing and then dragged a wet brush right across the middle of it all. Colors were slowly fading into each other, flickering and waving around, and from the flicker itself came a sickly blue light.  
Liam narrowed his eyes to see better against the light. He could see the outline of a person but the flicker between them made it impossible to be sure. Might as well be a tree.  
“Liam, be careful,” Theo begged his mate and Liam nodded but slowly stepped closer. His pack stayed behind him; good that way they were safer in case of an attack.  
 _Liam.  
_ He heard his name but it sounded far away. His wolf inside him was ready to pounce, ready to come out and protect his human side in case of a new danger.  
 _Liam._  
He moved closer to the large rift and he thought he saw the outline on the other side move as well. His wolf snarled inside him and his eyes glowed red. The outline was moving closer, he could make this out now, and Liam raised a hand. Was this some sort of mirror? Did he see himself on the other side?  
The car tires sounded up again and he heard his name being whispered. Remembered the sewers, the despair to know his friends were dead. And then a sudden shockwave paired with a deafening sound sent him flying to the ground.

Liam groaned when he met with the ground so harshly. His head hurt from the sudden hit and he stayed down to get rid of the dizziness coming with the pain. He coughed at the dust the burst had stirred up. 

Suddenly two hands cupped his face.  
“Please be okay. Please, please, be okay!” Theo begged and Liam saw tears glistening in his mate’s eyes. The whole thing probably looked worse than it really was when Theo was so panicked.  
“I’m okay.” Liam felt pain blossom in his jaw when he talked like you feel after somebody punched you. Black veins sneaked up Theo’s arms and he let out a watery chuckle before he wrapped his arms tightly around Liam and pressed him against his chest.  
“I couldn’t feel you anymore. For a moment you were gone from our mating bond. Never do this to me again!” He finally explained his panic and Liam wrapped his arms around Theo to hug him back.  
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m here, I’m here and I’m not leaving you.”

He hugged Theo tightly but then cast a glance over his boyfriend’s shoulder. The dust was slowly settling and he saw his pack, all unharmed and safe but looking just as perplexed and shocked as Liam felt. 

And then he saw them. 

Two more people on the clearing, sitting on the dusty ground, clothes full of dust and grime. They looked around and moved closer together, almost to protect each other from everything around them. It made them seem like scared animals huddling together, which only increased when they saw the pack there. Until their eyes landed on Liam and he was so shocked he let go of Theo and stared at them.  
How could he not? This was such an unexpected encounter, Liam could not do much more than just staring at the two living, breathing people a few feet away from him. It took him a while until he found his voice again:

“Brett? Lori? Oh my god!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! I know I took my time with that one because I started another project and I also lost my motivation somewhere along those weeks for a while. But I got it back and I hope you guys are happy about the new chapter. This was one of the ideas I had for so long and I’m excited I finally reached the point in the story to make it come true. Now I’m curious what you have to say about it. Comments? Wishes? Dreams? What will happen next?
> 
> Thanks for everyone waiting so patiently for me ♥♥


	45. Easy simply won't do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack deals with Brett and Lori coming back while the two also deal with being back. They're all in for quite a ride, that's for sure.

Liam could not wrap his head around what had just transpired and he just stared at the former dead siblings who were still huddled together and stared at him equally as shocked as Liam was. He glanced around, every other member of his pack seemed just as astounded. Liam caught Mason’s glance and his best friend just gave a helpless shrug. Even the ever so rational Mason, the quick thinker, had no idea what just happened.

“What’s going on? Where are we?” Brett spoke up for the first time and made Liam’s attention snap back to the siblings. The male werewolf never took his eyes of Liam, a look of pure wonder on his face. “Are you really here? Liam, is this real?”

Liam slowly got to his feet and walked over to the two wolves to crouch down in front of them. “I am here and so are you. I wish I could tell you what happened but I’m drawing as much of a blank here as anybody else. But we figure it out, we always do.”  
This made Brett look around again, eying every single member of the pack, and he narrowed his eyes. “Who are they?”  
“My pack. You don’t have to be scared, you’re safe with us. Nothing will get you while we are around,” Liam vouched for his pack. He couldn’t imagine how it must feel to have your last memory be the headlights of the car running you over and then waking up in an unknown forest. This was his way to assure them and take away some of the stress they surely must feel. Their chemosignals were all over the place and Liam could not blame them. 

“They’re not the McCall pack.” Lori’s thin voice sounded up and she clutched her brother’s arm.   
“I’m not part of the McCall pack anymore,” Liam replied softly.   
“You’re also not in Beacon Hills anymore. You’re, we’re, currently in a forest not far from Seattle,” Mason piped in and Liam was glad for the support.   
“Seattle?” Lori could not believe it and still clutched Brett’s arm. She looked at her brother who raised one hand to settle over hers, and then she bit her lip. “How long have we...?”  
Liam exhaled softly. It was only fair for her to know but that didn’t make this any easier. “Almost three years.”  
Brett scoffed scornfully. “Three years, fuck! Guess that explains why you look how you look. Older. And your hair...” He gestured at his neck and Liam nodded.  
“A lot of things happened. I promise I will fill you in and answer every question you might have.”

“Liam,” Ever cut in, “we should leave. We don’t know what else might have happened and we can answer questions at home as well. But just let us leave this place, please.”  
She was right, no doubt, and Liam nodded. “Brett and Lori, we all live in one house together in Seattle. You can stay there as well, we have spare rooms.” He got to feet again. “Oh, to make this fair: Those are Sadie, Maya, Tim, Mike, Ever, Nolan, you know my best friend Mason and his husband Corey, and my mate Theo,” He introduced his pack to the siblings. Only fair to have them know everybody’s name since everybody knew theirs.

Liam extended his hand and while Lori took it and let Liam help her to her feet, Brett hesitated. “We should ask your Alpha for permission about staying with you.”  
The Betas had been about to turn around and walk back to the cars but now stopped dead in their tracks. Maya frowned. “What?”  
“I just came back from the dead, I don’t want to piss an unknown Alpha off because I am intruding in their pack territory!”  
Liam felt everyone’s eyes on him. Nobody wanted to answer for the Alpha himself, that was his job alone. He smiled softly. “The Alpha has absolutely no problem with you staying at the house. He just invited you.” He flashed his eyes Alpha red and Brett’s eyes widened.   
“You’re the Alpha,” he gasped.  
“I told you, a lot of things happened.” He held out his hand for Brett again and this time, the other took it and Liam pulled him up. “I’m not seventeen anymore,” Liam reminded Brett again and let go off his hand before he turned around. “Let’s get back to the cars.”

The car ride back home was silent and while Liam kept an eye out for the strange flickers from before, they didn’t appear again and it looked like a nice Summer night.   
They arrived at the house and everyone seemed kind of relieved they got out of the whole night unharmed. “Girls, can you give Lori some spare clothes and do some of you guys have something for Brett to wear? They will also show you the bathrooms so you can get cleaned up.” The Alpha’s orders were met with nods and while Maya and Sadie tended to Lori, Mike and Tim went to show Brett everything he needed right now. Ever meanwhile filled the teapot in the kitchen with water, they probably all needed a hot drink to calm down their nerves.

“So, any ideas?” She turned around after the water was boiling and looked at the Alpha couple as well as Mason and Corey.   
“Ask me that again after my brain caught up with the fact that two dead people came back to life,” Mason muttered. He looked at every single one of their little group and then nudged Corey. “You don’t seem fazed by this at all.”  
“Fazed by people coming back from the dead? Not really.” Corey shook his head and when he noticed the incredulous stares from his husband, he elaborated further: “I am the living proof people can come back after they died. Theo brought me back, remember that? Liam brought Theo back from hell. Also, Peter Hale. Three examples that death is not necessarily the end. Sure, in many cases it was the end, but exceptions confirm the rule. So, no, I’m not fazed by them coming back, I am more fazed with how they came back. What was that?”  
“I’m not completely sure, I have like a thousand theories running through my head right now, but I think it has something to do with Liam and his Alpha spark. I said Celia probably opened something when she tried to summon the demon and failed. Maybe this something was the connection to the plane Brett and Lori’s souls were trapped. I don’t have proof for that and can’t back that theory up until I researched further, but it’s what I came up with for now. It would make sense,” Ever put in her two cents.   
“Liam, are you okay though? The force wave hit you pretty hard in the forest.”Mason worried about his best friend and Liam hummed.  
“I’m fine, yeah. It was a strange feeling but I experienced so many strange feelings over the years, I’m kinda getting used to it.”   
“I’m just happy you’re okay.” Theo ran his hand over Liam’s back. “And Ever and Corey are both right. People can come back from the dead, it just takes a very strong source of power, and if I know something, than that an Alpha spark is such a source. Whatever it is, we now have two formerly dead people here and have to figure out where to go from here. What else might happen? At this point, we again have to be prepared for everything.”   
“If the theory of Celia opening the portal to another dimension is true, we might have to prepare for facing more demons in the future,” Liam muttered darkly and braced his elbow on the counter in front of him. “So we will try and research as much as we can, try to figure out what happened in the forest, while we also take care of Brett and Lori. They are all on their own, we can’t let them leave just like that.”

His friends nodded and Ever took the boiled water and brew a large pot of tea for the pack. “How did it feel? After you came back from the dead?” She asked quietly in the direction of Corey and Theo.  
Corey sighed. “Strange. For the first few days, it felt unreal, like a dream. I didn’t dare to embrace the feeling of being alive again, too scared it might get taken away again. There was a numbness inside my bones, took some time to get over this again.”  
“For me, it was stressful. I was overwhelmed by everything and I didn’t really get a break. I escaped my sister in hell and outside of hell, I faced Ghostriders. But I felt empty, shallow. Like what came back had been just the shell of me. I’m still not sure you can compare dying to be sent to hell.” Theo shook his head.  
“Why not?” Liam asked his boyfriend and blinked up at him.  
Theo shrugged. “Doesn’t feel right. Dying is something you can’t influence. But getting sent to hell, that’s your fault alone. Maybe that’s why I can’t see the comparison between these two.”  
Liam gave him a long look and considered what to say about that but in the end, he just stretched and kissed Theo’s cheek. “It’s still relatively early in the morning and it was quite a night. You all should go to bed and catch some more hours of sleep. I will make sure Brett and Lori get something to eat, then I will also crash.”  
They all nodded and Theo squeezed his arm. “See you soon,” he said before he left the kitchen with the others and Liam went to prepare sandwiches. 

After he had a plate for each sibling he filled two mugs with tea and then put everything on a tray to carry it upstairs. He found Brett and Lori in one of the guest rooms. They sat on the bed and talked quietly when Liam walked through the open door.   
“Hey, thought you could use something to drink and eat.” He raised the tray for them to see.  
“Liam, thank you.” Lori smiled gratefully at him when he sat down the tray on the bed.  
 “Don’t mention it, it’s really not a big deal.” Liam shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed.  
“It is a big deal. Without you...Liam, you brought us back.” Brett’s voice wavered with the amount of emotion he currently felt when he said that.   
“We’re still figuring out what exactly brought you back, so don’t thank me too early, Brett.” He shook his head. It was too early to say Liam had been the one. Even though he understood what Brett had wanted to say. 

Lori played with the blanket. “Liam. What happened after we...you know?” She swallowed and didn’t dare to look up from where her fingers curled into the blanket.   
Liam inhaled deeply. “The supernatural got exposed, which happened to be my fault. I kind of lost it after I found you in the street...” It was still hard to talk about it, Liam still felt the despair and grief he had felt in this moment. “Most of the town was out to get us afterward, we had a full-blown war at our hands. The Anuk-ite caused so much fear and the people reacted with anger and rage. Scott almost sacrificed himself to stop the Anuk-ite, there was a battle at the hospital. Gerard died but the bitch Monroe escaped. She is still out there, targeting supernaturals and hunting them. Scott tries to track her down and help other werewolves in the progress while also living a normal life. We all do. I graduated and then enrolled at Seattle University, alongside Theo.” 

“And how did you become an Alpha?” Brett asked and pulled his legs up to his chest.   
“By ritual. Theo and I met the Morning Dew pack about a year ago and their former Alpha Byron decided to make me his successor. He transferred his Alpha spark to me and he is now the head of the council I founded for the rest of the pack.”   
“Morning Dew, I think Satomi once said mentioned them when she talked about packs with unique values. If they get their Alpha by ritual, it’s pretty unique.”  
Liam felt proud to fill him when he thought about his pack and what they stood for. “It truly is. A special pack with a special philosophy. We’re not Buddhists, but we learn how to work with our inner wolves and that helped me a lot. I feel more centered and I even managed to work with my wolf on such a level, I gained the ability to fully shift.”  
The siblings gaped at him and Liam shrugged shyly. “I know, pretty amazing, hm?” He rubbed his neck and then cleared his throat.   
“Anyway, you guys should eat something and then get some rest. Mine and Theo’s room is the first one on the right from your room. If you need anything, come and knock at the door.” He got up again but left the tray on the bed. Lori gave him another grateful smile and then bit down on one sandwich while Brett played with the sleeves of his shirt. Liam squeezed his shoulder and then walked over to the door, only to stop when Brett called his name. 

“Liam?”  
“Yeah?” The young Alpha turned around to face the older guy on the bed. Brett looked at him with a sincere look on his face.   
“Thank you. For everything.”  
He smiled. “Get some rest. Lord knows you two deserve it.” And with that Liam closed the door to the guest room and walked into his own bedroom. 

Theo was still awake albeit in bed and waiting for Liam. “Are they okay?”  
“Still pretty overwhelmed and I can’t blame them. But they have food and a roof over their head at least, I hope it helps to some extent.”  
“Well, the shower you let me have at your house after I crawled out of hell helped me.” Theo leaned against the headboard and watched Liam undress and change into his pajamas.   
“I just hope they manage to arrange themselves with being alive again. Must be hard, I suppose.” Liam climbed into bed and under the covers. “I am also happy the pack accepted them staying here without any problems.”  
“That’s our pack, puppy. We, your Betas, are open and friendly unless provoked. That’s something we have in common with our Alpha, you know?”  
Liam laughed softly and shook his head. “Weirdo. You know what I meant. I want to give them a somewhat safe place while they figure everything out. Three years is a lot of time.” He also leaned against the headboard and looked at Theo. “By the way, you’re not jealous of Brett, right?”

Theo tilted his head. “Strangely, I’m not. I’m aware you had a crush on him during your school days but I don’t feel jealous of him now. Maybe because you introduced me as your mate from the beginning? I don’t know.”  
“It’s good you’re not. Because there is nothing you have to be jealous of. As you said, I had a crush on him for a while but now the only guy I’m crushing on is you. And I’m hopelessly devoted to you.” Liam wrapped his arms around Theo and pulled him closer to kiss his cheek.   
“Hopelessly, hm?” Theo chuckled and snuggled into Liam’s embrace. “So that means I have you wrapped around my finger?”  
“Don’t get too cocky,” Liam warned even though they both knew it was true. “Despite, you’re just as hopelessly devoted to me as well, Dore.”  
“Hm, true.” Theo kissed Liam’s jaw and his cheek before he pulled the blanket higher and moved into a comfortable position. Liam decided to do the same and keep his arms around Theo. He closed his eyes and feel Theo turn around which prompted Liam to move closer and nestle against Theo’s back.   
“Goodnight, Lee,” Theo muttered and put his hand over Liam’s resting against his stomach.   
“Goodnight, Dore,” Liam replied. It was the last thing he said before he fell asleep.

******  
Liam seemed to be the first awake when he opened his eyes hours later. It was still morning but a more reasonable time to be up than before. Theo was still sleeping and Liam left him in his peaceful slumber while he slipped out of bed and moments later the room. 

He padded downstairs into the kitchen to brew some coffee and while the machine was doing its job, Liam stepped out in the garden to enjoy the morning. He stretched and held his face in the sun. Quiet and peaceful, despite the chaotic night they just had. Liam knew they had to figure out what had happened in the forest while also help Lori and Brett as good as they could, but for now, it was nice to simply enjoy.

“Your garden is nice albeit a bit empty.”

Liam spun around with a shriek and pressed a hand against his chest. “Jesus fucking Christ, Brett, don’t scare me like that!”   
He had not seen the other sitting on the patio, leaned against the wall of the house. Now Brett peaked up at him and studied Liam’s features.   
“Shouldn’t your Alpha instincts tell you when someone’s around? Alphas hear better than Betas.”  
“If said Alpha pays no attention, then no. I still have to get used to listening to two more heartbeats now. Cut me some slack, man.” His heart was still hammering inside his chest but he slowly calmed down from the shock.   
Brett still studied him like he was an ancient animal and Liam frowned. “What?”  
“You are so different. Said it before but can’t help to notice it over and over again. My last memory of you is the seventeen-year-old boy I called dumbass because he tried to save me.”  
Liam shrugged and sat down next to Brett. “I’m an Alpha now and so many things happened already. I grew up quite a bit and I never thought a year ago I would have this life but then one thing happened and then the next and suddenly I’m here, in the pack house, with my own pack and all.”  
Brett leaned his head against the wall. “Life has a funny way to change. One moment you’re being poisoned, then you’re getting run over by a car and then there’s emptiness.” He laughed bitterly and Liam cast him a sympathetic glance.   
“I can only imagine how horrible that must have been.”  
But Brett shook his head. “You have no idea. Like, not even your wildest imagination could come up with what it’s like. I know you’re trying to be sympathetic but you can’t. You can’t imagine it.”   
Liam had to give Brett that, he probably was right. He could not imagine. Yet the cutting tone in his friend’s voice made a shiver ran down Liam’s back. He tried to help Brett and it felt like he was being dismissed. 

“I think I should start with breakfast, the others will be up soon and we all need food. Are you hungry as well?” Liam got up again and dusted his pajama pants off. Brett gave him an incredulous look.   
“You are cooking for the pack?”  
“Yeah.” Liam frowned. “Why not? Because I’m the Alpha? That’s crap.”  
“Some Alphas feel like their pack should cook for them, not the other way around. It’s good to see you’re one of those working Alphas, who don’t act like their Betas are servants.”  
“I respect every single one of my Betas and that will never change. I like cooking so I see n problem in doing it for the pack. We actually have a good dynamic, you will see this while you’re staying here.”  
“Hm.” Brett made a non-committal sound and Liam just left him brooding while he ventured into the kitchen and started scrambled eggs and bacon. 

He had already finished the eggs and the bacon and was already eating his breakfast when Mason joined him in the kitchen, filled himself a plate and then sat down with Liam at the table. “You have that stormy look on your face. Something is bubbling inside you. What happened?” He asked while he sipped on his coffee and watched Liam closely over the rim of his cup.  
Liam grumbled and stabbed a piece of bacon with his fork. “I talked to Brett this morning and I don’t know. He seemed very distant. It’s understandable he is not the Brett I knew but it felt almost as if he didn’t want my help at all.”   
“Hm, I’m sure he is happy you’re trying to help him but dying and then coming back must be a lot to take in. Corey and Theo both said they felt empty. Give him some time to get used to being alive again.”  
Liam munched his breakfast and hummed. “I just hope he comes around,” he mumbled.

******  
The next days were spent with their daily lives but also helping Lori and Brett get used to being alive again. Lori, after she had been struggling in the first couple of days, really tried and opened herself up, especially to the other girls, but Brett kept his distance and didn’t seem to come around. It was frustrating for Liam to see his friend clearly struggling but when he or another pack member tried to help, Brett shied away and didn’t accept help, was even downright rude sometimes. He talked to them all but kept it to superficial talks and comments and never opened up about how he was feeling or what his troubles were. Or he simply didn’t respond at all and shut down every attempt to talk to him. Even Lori could not get through to her brother.

She confided in Liam one day with tears in her eyes. “I know you are trying so hard and you’re helping us so much but he is just so stubborn. I am so sorry, Liam.”  
He hugged her. “Hey, it’s okay. We will find a way to help him. He probably just needs more time.” Liam tried his best to go for a comforting smile and Lori responded with a weak smile on her own. She must worry about her brother like crazy and Liam really wanted to be optimistic and make her feel lighter again. He just wasn’t sure how long he could pull the _Brett needs more time_ excuse off. 

Because truth to be told, with absolutely no attempt from Brett’s side to open up just the tiniest bit, the pack’s patience was running thinner and thinner. There was no progress being made and Liam could not be mad at his Betas getting frustrated. He knew firsthand how stubborn Brett could be, had experienced it himself after he demolished the coach’s car and Brett had not wanted to accept his apology and made Liam’s life miserable to a certain point, so Liam could relate. A tough nut to crack. 

And then came the explosion. 

Liam came home one day and he heard cussing and roaring from the basement as well as heated voices in the kitchen. When Liam walked into the kitchen, he found Mike, Corey and Ever caught in a fiery discussion with Brett.    
“What is going on here? And what’s happening in the basement?” The young Alpha asked, alarms ringing inside his head.   
“Brett had a very nasty argument with Sadie and she almost jumped him. Maya dragged her to the basement and tries to calm her down,” Mike filled him in with a sneer in Brett’s direction. “All because she let slip she also suffers from IED and he ran his mouth.”  
Oh no. Liam knew how Brett had teased him about his condition after it became public, and even before the rage had a name he had loved to poke the bear when he was in a bad mood himself. It had never failed to make Liam go through the roof. This was a recipe for disaster.

He glared at Brett and narrowed his eyes. “What did you say to her?” He inquired and tried his best to keep his voice even.   
Brett shrugged nonchalantly. “I just told her that she is as much of a time bomb as you are. You may have gotten better with your Alpha control but she doesn’t have this type of control and we both know what happens when control is lost.”  
“Have you lost your mind?” Liam was close to yelling and it itched him to shake Brett. “You can’t tell her that!”  
Another shrug from Brett. “I was just stating facts and got proven right. Her control runs thin.”  
“It’s not your business to state these facts!  Stay out of it!” Ever shouted at him and threw her hands up in the air.  
“I am allowed to voice my opinion!”  
Liam glared at Brett and shook his head in lack of understanding. “What is wrong with you? Why are you so rude? Ever’s right, you can’t tell her things like that!”  
“I am just being real. What is she supposed to do anyway? I don’t have a car she can trash.” Brett had also raised his voice and gave Liam a pointed look.

White hot rage boiled up inside him and Liam heard the blood rush in his ears. He clenched his fists and felt himself shaking with the anger he was barely keeping in at the moment. His blood boiled and he got somewhat of tunnel vision, red bars blinking left and right. This had been one of his darkest moments and Liam was absolutely not proud of what he did back then. To be reminded of it, made him lose his cool.  
Liam spun around and stormed out of the kitchen and downstairs into the basement. Maya held Sadie’s wrists with her own hands and had already managed to talk Sadie down so much the blonde was leaning against the wall and barely struggled anymore.   
“Maya, get out!” Liam ordered.   
She looked at him and hesitated. “But...”  
“I said get out!” Liam roared at her and she reeled back in shock. Then she dropped Sadie’s arms and ran up the stairs again. She was not so dumb to argue with an obviously angry Alpha. 

Sadie slid down on the wall and sat on the floor, legs pulled up to her chest. She was quiet so Liam paid her no mind when he closed his eyes and braced his hands against the wall. _Calm down, calm down, calm down_. He tried to remind himself of that over and over again but the rage was still bubbling inside him and he felt his claws come out and scratch over the wall; to ground Liam to his current place and stop him from storming back up. 

He took several deep breaths, counted to ten, then let the air escape his lungs. all while he thought of nice things in his life. His pack, how proud his parents were, Theo. Theo. Theo. He was angry but what Brett had mentioned was past him, Liam was a different person now and while he could not change the fact he did what he did, he had paid for it already. 

Slowly it worked. He was still angry but it wasn’t the rage he had felt before and Liam sighed and leaned his forehead against the wall. The only sounds in the basement were the two heartbeats and their fast breathing. Until Sadie spoke up: “We have to find another way to get through to him, clearly this isn’t working.”  
Liam sighed. “I know, Sadie.”  
“Not only for Brett but for us as well. I get why he may shy away from the extrovert members of the pack but he doesn’t open up to Corey, Tim or Nolan either and they are the nicest persons I know. I’m not saying stop helping him but we need a new approach to the whole subject matter.”  
Liam sighed again and then pushed himself off the wall after he opened his eyes. “You’re right but right now I have no idea how,” he confessed while he turned around to face Sadie. “Are you okay though? That’s more important right now.”  
“Yeah, I calmed down. It was hard, I haven’t had such an episode in a long time. I thought it was over. Guess I was wrong.”  
“It’s never over for us.” Liam shook his head. “But we get better in keeping control and we learn how to cope better with the rage. Yet we have this condition, that is also something you have to admit to yourself. I found this one of the hardest things, admitting that I have it. Doesn’t stop me from getting better. Just focus less on you getting angry and more on the positive. You didn't hurt anybody or trashed anything. Would you have managed that in the past?”  
She silently shook her head and Liam smiled faintly. “There you go.”  
The blonde growled. “I still don’t like it. I was struggling and couldn’t really focus on my anchor.”  
“Maya seemed pretty good at calming you down. Anchors can change, Sads, ever thought of that? It’s all about connection.”  
It seemed like she considered this. “I’ll think about this,” she then promised him and at that point, this was all Liam could have expected.

They were interrupted anyway when Theo bolted down the stairs. “What the hell happened here? I come home from work and everyone is agitated, Maya says you two are struggling with your anger, the fuck happened?”   
Sadie exhaled loudly and picked her nails. “Brett said something about me and Liam being time bombs and I lost it. If Maya had not caught me, I would have jumped him and punched him square in the face. Liam came home later but Brett obviously said something to tick him off as well.”  
“He reminded me of that one time I trashed the coach’s car,” Liam filled Theo in. Theo’s green eyes flicked between them. It was not hard to see the wheels turning in his brain and Liam didn’t need to smell the chemosignals to know his boyfriend was getting angry. Their mating bond bristled with rage.   
“Okay, that’s it!” He spun around and stormed upstairs again.   
“Theo!” Liam didn’t even hesitate to sprint after his mate. The last thing he needed today was a brawl between Theo and Brett. 

With Liam hot on his trails, Theo stormed into the living room where Brett was lounging on the couch. Tim sat next to the tall werewolf and had seemingly tried to start another conversation while Corey sat in the chair and tried the same thing but when Theo rushed in, both looked scared. Liam could not really blame him, Theo was seething with rage and an angry Theo was terrifying, no matter which side you were on.   
“Get up!” Theo barked at Brett who gave him an unimpressed glance.  
“Why should I?”  
“Because if you don’t get up on your own I’ll make you and you don’t want that!”  
“Guys!” Liam tried to mend but was entirely ignored by Theo and Brett. Theo now snatched the remote from Brett’s hand and turned the TV off before throwing the remote back on the couch.   
“I said get up!”  
This time, Brett followed the order and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I’m up. Now what?” 

If possible Theo looked even madder than before. “Who do you think you are? We are trying everything to make you feel better, make you feel alive again, but all you do is shut down and not let anybody close to you. I know firsthand how it is to not be in the world of the living for a while and then coming back, how hard it is to adjust again, but that’s not an excuse. You have your sister with you, your own blood, and she does just fine. Does her best to get better and feel alive again and yet not even that is good enough for you! We can’t help you because you won’t let us help you and I’m sick and tired of it. The nice and peaceful approach obviously isn’t working so let’s be brutally honest, shall we? You are pathetic! You got a second chance, do you know how many would love to get one and don’t get it? You were picked to have it, for whatever reason there might be because I surely can’t name one. There are other people more deserving of being alive again cause they would know what do actually do with that. They would not hang around the house all day, barely talk to anybody, and refuse any help. What have you done since you came back? Other than snarking at each and every one of us? I am fed up with you moaning and complaining, it’s insulting to all of us!” Theo scoffed. “Know what? I pity you because you don’t have anything in your life that makes you want to live again, feel alive again. Not even your sister is a good enough reason for you to fight again? Damn, that’s fucked up. One would think if you can’t live for yourself, might as well try it for Lori but you even can’t do that? And before you say something along those lines you never asked for help or why do we care about you getting better, that is bullshit. Wanna know why? Because you have to get better. That’s not a choice, that’s a duty! If you can't do it for yourself or for your sister, at least do it for Liam. Do it for that one person who grieved your loss and who felt guilty about not being fast enough and strong enough to save you. For that one person who still found it hard to talk about your death, even three years later."   
Theo glared at Brett and then a grim smile appeared on his face. "And since you already got acquainted with this side of me, let me tell you something." He stepped right into Brett's personal space, their faces inches apart, and his expression an angry snarl. "I know about the zoo and should you ever think about hurting Liam like that or in any other way again, getting run over by a car will feel like salvation compared to what I'm going to do to you. Clear?"

The two men stared at each other, Theo’s face still twisted in anger and Brett’s face emotionless, and Liam held his breath. A part of him still expected the two of them to be at each other’s throats and punch each other, so he kind of was ready to jump between. But there were no punches thrown. Brett just set his jaw and left the room wordlessly, the front door falling shut moments later. 

The silence stretched out in the living room. Corey and Tim stared at Theo with wide eyes and Liam tried to focus his thoughts long enough to know what he wanted to say. He finally sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  
“Getting run over by a car will feel like salvation to you?” He asked meekly and Theo faced him.   
“It’s my job to protect you!” He defended himself and threw his hands up in frustration.   
The couple looked at each other, then Liam walked over and framed Theo’s face with his hands. He kissed his boyfriend and Theo’s hands found a place on Liam’s hips.   
“What are we going to do with Brett now?” Tim asked from behind and Liam internally sighed. If he knew...  
“We wait until he comes home and maybe we can have a quiet talk. Theo and Sadie are right, it can’t go on like it did for the last couple of days,” he stated and leaned his head against Theo’s shoulder.   
“Do you think Brett will come home?” Corey inquired.  
“He has to, he doesn’t even have money to buy a bus ticket,” Theo commented dryly and Liam pinched his side. It earned him a slight clap on his back. 

Brett stayed away for the next hours. Lori looked completely shocked when he heard about what went down and then launched herself into apologies which none was having. It wasn’t her fault, her brother was his own person and she couldn’t speak for him. 

The evening came and with that, the pack found themselves in the kitchen to cook together. It seemed like a good idea, a pack activity, after all the fighting today. They were chatting and even laughing when suddenly Brett appeared in the doorway.    
“Hey,” he said softly and hunched his shoulders. He looked uncomfortable and totally lost right now and Liam pitied him. He was still interested in how this would continue.  
“Brett, glad you’re back. We’re making dinner.” Lori smiled at her brother and raised a handful of carrots she was currently cutting.  
Brett tried a weak smile but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s good to have all of you in one place cause I have to say something.” He looked at his hands. It was strange to see the usual so confident Brett lost for words. “I, uhm, I have to apologize. To all of you. How I treated you wasn’t fair. It’s...hard, I guess.” He started playing with his sleeve again and didn’t dare to look up at first. “I always thought when I die there would be something nice on the other hand. Call it paradise if you will but something that was good. I thought I would see my dead family and we all would be happy again. Instead, there was emptiness. Nothing. I didn’t know how to cope with it.”

He finally looked up, rare emotion displayed on his face and his eyes full with regret. “Coming back didn’t help much with this disappointment and this feeling of being empty and I took it out in all the wrong ways. It’s not an excuse but when I’m overwhelmed or stressed, I tend to get hostile and push people away. That’s my problem but I made it your problem and I truly apologize for that. I’m aware you all wanted to help me but I  got myself in a mindset where I was unable to accept help. I’m usually not that type of person, I’m not a mean guy, but I will work on it.” Brett pointed at Theo. “You lit a fire under my ass and gave me the wake-up call I obviously needed. Thank you.” He turned his focus on Liam. “I never apologized for all the things I did to you. I am sorry. This probably won’t do much but I need to tell you that. It was horrible, I’ve done horrible things, and an apology has been long overdue. I am sorry and thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me. You truly have a heart of gold.” And then he looked at his sister. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you and pushed you away. You didn’t deserve this.”   
She smiled with tears in her eyes. “It’s okay. You’re my brother, I know you are a great guy.”  
Brett let out a watery chuckle. “I understand if you don’t want me around anymore. I will be gone as soon as I can.”

“Brett,” Liam started but Tim raised his hand.  
“Liam, may I?” He asked softly and the young Alpha nodded. “Of course.”  
Tim turned to Brett. “In this pack, we don’t give up. We had some hard cases but we never gave up on them and in the end, it all worked out.” He glanced at Mike who smirked while Maya nudged Sadie and the blonde rolled her eyes but smiled. “The thing is, you were a very hard case but as I said, this is something this pack deals with. We never gave up and we won’t start now. It was difficult to connect with you but you apologized and to me, that is the strength of character. It takes a good person to admit to their mistakes and say they’re sorry. I believe you are a good person and I would like to get to know you and maybe help you. If that’s what you want.”  
Liam nodded. “Nobody expects you to be the same person you were before you died but you can get there. Tim said it, we don’t give up on hard cases and no one here resents you. Right, guys?” He looked around at his pack and they all nodded.  
“Theo and I have experiences with somewhat dying and coming back. If you want to talk, I’m sure we both will be willing to listen. You don’t have to open yourself completely in one day, but baby steps.” Corey smiled warmly at Brett.  
Theo studied Brett’s features and crossed his arms loosely in front of his chest. “If someone knows how important a second chance is, it’s me. I heard stories about you and I don’t believe you are a bad guy. Like Corey said, if you want to talk, you can come to me as well.”

Brett rubbed his shoulder. “I don’t know what to say. This is not what I expected.”  
“Thanks would be a good start,” Lori teased her brother and wiped her eyes.   
“Thanks.” Now Brett was even able to smile softly. “I really appreciate your willingness to help me.”  
“It’s a pack specialty.” Liam shrugged. ”Glad to have the nice Brett back.”  
Brett nodded and then hugged Lori when she walked over to him. And suddenly Theo groaned.  
“This is another group hug moment, right? Feels like one.”  
“You’re having group hugs?” Brett inquired amusedly and Theo grimaced.   
“Get used to it, they happen quite often.”  
“Damn right they do!” Sadie exclaimed and Theo grumbled when she dragged him into the promised group hug centered around Lori and Brett. It was then, that Brett laughed for the first time since he came back. 

It felt good to hear his friend laugh and Liam smiled. “Baby steps, like Corey said. You said the garden was empty. That’s one of our projects anyway but would you like to help us with the garden, Brett?”  
“I’d like that very much, yeah.”

******  
The next days showed an absolute improvement. Brett stayed true to his words and tried to get to know the pack better, get involved with them. When there were moments he needed space, he voiced it and the others let him have his space. It was a system that worked. 

It also gave Liam time to take care of a few other things to do and one day he walked into the kitchen with a big brown envelope.   
“Liam, what you’ve got there?” Mike asked.  
“I talked to Lydia the other day and told her about Brett and Lori coming back from the dead. She then talked with her mom afterward. This is from Lydia.” He waved the envelope and handed it over to Brett and Lori. “Since you died before graduation, you never really finished high school and Lydia’s mom is the principal so she pulled some strings. Congratulations on your high school diploma.”  
The siblings stared at him with big eyes, then they opened the envelope and true to Liam’s words, the diplomas were there.   
“It’s not Devenford Prep but I figured it worked,” Liam explained to Brett and the other shook his head in wonder.   
“You’re crazy, Dunbar. But thank you.”  
“Don’t mention it, that was nothing. Now you can really start a new chapter.”

******  
Liam sat cross-legged on the floor in the living room and made some news on the notepad before he looked through the folder his coach had given him.   
“Problems with the team?” Sadie inquired from where she knelt in front of the table and did Ever’s nails.   
“No but we’re still short on members and I’m trying to help Rod find someone suitable.  He will call an open training soon and asked me to make up my mind what I think this team needs. I’m captain, after all, and with Brett not wanting to enroll in SU we’re short on good players.”  
“Sorry, man, but I really don’t see myself in college at the moment,” Brett chimed in from where he played chess with Tim. He was still figuring out where to go from here and what he wanted to do with his life but Liam had asked him about starting college anyway. Brett had always been great at lacrosse.

“When will the open training take place?” Sadie asked.   
Liam shrugged and flipped a page in the folder. “Don’t know yet. I hope whenever it takes place some people actually show up.”  
Koda walked over and dropped his toy in Liam’s lap and Liam laughed. “You could play with us.” He petted the dog and kissed Koda on top of his head which resulted in a happy bark. “You are fast and agile and a great goalie for sure.”  
Koda wagged his tail and then curled up next to Liam who handed him his toy back and the puppy happily chewed on it. So Liam was free to make some more notes about what he wanted to see in the team and what he thought was missing in their current lineup.

“Why doesn’t Theo play lacrosse? I always wanted to ask but never really went through with it. He is very athletic, wouldn’t he be a great addition?” Tim questioned.   
“The only thing I like about lacrosse is watching my boyfriend play it and how happy it makes him. I really don’t want to get involved with that. I’m more a gym type of guy,” Theo called from the kitchen and Tim jumped.   
“Jesus, I hate when he tunes into conversations in other rooms. Always scares the fuck out of me!”  
“That’s just Theo making a show of his werewolf hearing. You still have not gotten used to it?” Ever asked with a laugh and Tim shrugged sheepishly.   
“Yeah, I mean, it still startles me sometimes.”  
Liam snickered but then picked up notepad and folder and wandered into the kitchen. 

Theo had declared himself in charge of tonight’s dinner and shooed everyone from the kitchen. Liam still wanted to check and offer his help. He knew Theo could cook but having a help was nice too.  
“You okay in here?” He asked when he walked in and put his things on the table. Theo nodded and didn’t look up from where he was cutting tomatoes.   
“You cook for us all the time and barely ask for help. I will be fine handling dinner on my own for one night.”  
“Hm.” Liam leaned against the counter and watched his mate work. “I know you will be okay but having a help is also okay.”  
Now Theo pointed the knife at him. “Don’t even try it, Emerson, tonight’s your night off. You’re not doing one thing in the kitchen.”  
“Okay, okay.” Liam raised both hands in surrender and laughed. “Fine, I will just watch. And maybe touch.”  
Theo had returned to cutting tomatoes now tsked. “Haven’t you just agreed to not touch the food?”  
“Wasn’t talking about the food.” Liam stepped behind Theo and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. One hand pulled up Theo’s shirt, the other stroked over his abs. “You’re looking great as provider and chef, can’t blame me.” He put his chin on Theo’s shoulder and watched him cut one tomato after the other. When he was done and put the knife aside, Liam wrapped both arms around his middle and pulled him flush against his own body. Theo’s breath hitched and Liam smirked.  
“I will thank you later for the food,  I promise,” he whispered into Theo’s ear and then kissed over Theo’s cheek and his neck.   
“If you keep doing that, the food will get burned,” Theo warned him but tilted his head and gave Liam more room.  
“Hm, takeout would be fine too.” Liam pulled down the collar of Theo’s shirt and kissed the mating bite. Theo shuddered and pressed against Liam.   
“You’re bad, you’re really bad. But I love it. However, I refuse to burn the food. No matter how hard you try, you little devil.”  
“Uh, that’s a new nickname. What happened to naughty little Alpha?”  
“You’re still are my naughty little Alpha but right now you’re also devilish. And now get your sweet ass away from me or I will really burn the food and I don’t want that. Would be a waste.”  
He was right about that and Liam pressed another kiss to Theo’s puls point and then stepped back. “I love you.”  
“I love you too, Lee.”

******  
One day later Liam found himself on the desk in his room where he still hovered over the folder and the team. This was difficult because while the team improved it still lacked good players. Sadie was good, Liam himself, a few of the others had potential but it wasn’t enough to win a title and Liam was competitive enough to want a title. 

“Still short on players?” Theo leaned against the headboard of their bed and read but now he had lowered his book and watched Liam. It was Friday so they had no obligations the other morning and even now it was close to midnight both didn’t plan on going to bed just now. They rather relaxed around each other and they both did their own thing. It was kind of nice.   
“Yep. Next week is the open training and I really hope we will solve the problem then. I’d really like to win a title with the team at least once.”  
“My little champion,” Theo mocked him lovingly and Liam stuck out his tongue at him. Theo grinned.   
“How mature, Liam.”  
“Hey, you are the twenty-something-year-old, not me, baby boy.”  
“Baby boy? Really?” Theo older gave Liam an amused look and Liam snickered.   
“You’re right, that’s not very fitting.” He laughed and Theo shook his head with a fond smile but then got up from the bed.   
“Getting myself a glass of orange juice, want something?”  
Liam shook his head and Theo left the room while he returned his attention back to the team. 

He worked for a while when Theo called him.   
“Liam, can you come downstairs? I think the fridge is broken or something. You should check this out.”  
“What? It was working just fine the whole day,” Liam muttered to himself but got up and left the room anyway. When he walked downstairs, however, the kitchen was dark.  
“You probably would see more if you turned on the light. Or is this broken as well? I swear, if this is a trick and you jump me, you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”

There was a sizzling sound and suddenly sparklers drizzled. Around the kitchen island in the middle stood the pack and they all smiled at him before they started singing.

_“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Liam,  Happy Birthday to you!”_

Liam laughed. This was an amazing surprise and he really had not fully expected this right at midnight. During the day maybe, but not now.  
“It’s after midnight, you’re twenty!” Mason exclaimed and then hugged Liam tightly. “Happy Birthday, Lee. I hope you enjoy your day,” he whispered into Liam’s ear and Liam squeezed him.   
“Thanks, Mase, I will.”  
After Mason came Corey and then Sadie and so one by one of his Betas hugged him and congratulated him. Brett smirked at him and high-fived him. “The big two zero, huh?” And then he also hugged Liam.   
Theo was the last to congratulate Liam and he stepped up to him and took Liam’s face in his hands. “Happy Birthday, baby,” he wished Liam and then kissed him. The pack cheered and Liam smiled into the kiss while he wrapped both arms around Theo’s neck. 

“Guys, thank you so much. This is awesome,” he thanked his pack when he and Theo broke the kiss and Liam looked at his Betas.   
“No need to thank us now, you haven’t opened your presents yet,” Sadie told him and pointed at the table where the presents had been put aside. Maya turned off the light again and Liam realized the sparklers from earlier had been put in a chocolate cake. The cake looked delicious and he could not wait to taste it. But presents first. When Sadie was so eager to see him open the presents, he would not keep her and the others waiting. 

He stepped up to the table and eyed the various presents. “Really, you got me that much? That’s insane, guys.”  
“Stop it and open it up,” Corey cut him off with a grin. Liam smirked but when on opening the first present. It contained a light green bomber jacket with various patches of his favorite bands and lacrosse. But when patch on the sleeve caught his eye the most. Alpha was written there in big white letters on black background and rounded with a red frame. He laughed.  
“That is a great jacket, can’t wait to wear it. Thank you.”

He continued to open the presents. Liam got new headphones, the newest album from his favorite band, new lacrosse gloves, another hoodie, the newest Tomb Raider game (which he had wanted for such a long time), a new case for his phone, and then the only present left was Theo’s. It was a rectangular box and Liam cast Theo a curious glance.   
“I’m not telling you what it is, have to open it.”   
“This is too large for an engagement ring,” Mason realized and Liam scoffed at how disappointed he sounded. He ripped the wrapping paper away and then opened the box. There were new sneakers inside, dark blue, and Liam remembered he had seen them in the shop and liked them immediately. There was something else his eyes were drawn to first, however. On the inside of the lid, Theo had written in his nicest handwriting: _To keep you running through my mind._  Liam smiled at his boyfriend while the girls cooed next to him.   
“I noticed your favorite sneakers are about to bite the dust. And it’s true.”  Theo smiled at Liam and played it off as nothing.   
“Thank you so much. You’re the best.” Liam wrapped his arms around Theo and kissed him lovingly. Theo put his arms around Liam’s waist and pulled him close.   
“Look into the right shoe,” he whispered into Liam’s ear when they parted and he kissed his boyfriend’s cheek.   
“Hm?” That made Liam curious and he reached for the right shoe. When he looked inside, he found something small there and pulled it out. 

It was a car key with a simple metal key pendant. _This isn’t even a car key_ , engraved on the pendant. And this time Liam laughed really loudly.   
“This is the spare key to the truck. I want you to have it. That way you don’t have to always ask for the keys when you have to drive it. And the pendant is for you not losing the key. When the salesman asked me if I wanted to engrave something, I just had to go for it.” Theo laughed himself while the rest of the pack looked quizzical.   
“But this is a car key. I don’t get it,” Nolan mumbled.  
“I could be wrong but I think this is a Liam and Theo joke,” Ever shared her opinion about it. “And Liam obviously gets it and likes it very much.”  
“Oh yes, I do.” Liam was still cackling. “This is awesome. Thank you all so much for the great surprise and the presents.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's maybe a little late but it's still Christmas around here so: Merry Christmas, everybody! ♥   
> I hope you all are fine and happy and healthy. No matter how stressful this year has been, maybe you found or will find the time to get some rest and recharge your batteries. Anyway, I wish you the best.  
> Hope you enjoyed this new chapter. I really like Brett, liked him when he appeared in the series, but I didn't want to have everything to be sunshine and rainbows and lollipops. There had to be some trouble but he's getting better. He will be a great addition to the pack, just like Lori. (Also, angry Theo is hot af, if you ask me and it was fun writing him)  
> As always, feel free to comment and tell me about your wishes and expectations for the next chapter. It's really interesting to read everything and maybe surprise you along the line.   
> Love you all!
> 
> P.S. I know I'm behind responding to all the comments and I'm sorry. I had been under a lot of stress and put more attention on getting the new chapter up but I will try my best to answer to all comments before the years ends. Sorry for the wait. I hope you guys don't feel like I don't care anymore. I do care and I love to read every single comment. They keep me going and inspire me. Thanks to everyone who took the time to write something ♥


	46. Of Dots and Nighty and other things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam's birthday is celebrated. Theo and Liam learn new things about each other. New connections are made.

Liam’s hand stroked over Theo’s naked back and his blunt nails scratched over the skin while he moaned loudly. Theo replied with a low moan himself right into Liam’s ear. His mate snapped his hips again and his cock pulsed from where it was buried deep inside Liam. 

“Oh, fuck, Theo...” Liam groaned and his fingers trailed over Theo’s spine. Just like Liam’s skin, Theo’s was sweat-slicked and having a decent hold on him was difficult but Liam still needed some kind of grasp while he was fucked so amazingly. Especially now, when his body shook and got pushed closer and closer to his orgasm. 

Theo growled again and then turned his head and kissed Liam’s neck, right over his pulse point. Liam’s heart hammered inside his chest, even more so after this affectionate move, and his nails turned into claws. He lost control in the best ways possible and yet Theo grounded him, reigned him in enough it was pleasurable for both of them. His body above Liam’s, one hand on his hips in a bruising grip, the other closed around Liam’s cock and jerking him off in sync with his own thrusts; all that helped to ground Liam while he lost himself in the amazing universe that was his mate. 

It took another sharp thrust from Theo and a certain flick of his wrist and Liam screamed out the Beta’s name while he orgasmed and came all over Theo’s hand and his own stomach. Theo’s body shuddered and he managed two more thrusts while Liam spasmed around him and then he roared and came inside Liam. Their bodies shook with the force of their orgasms and they both moaned and gasped while they came down from their highs. 

Neither Liam nor Theo cared how sticky they were, too fucked out to care, when Theo collapsed on top of Liam. It had been a great way to start the day for sure. Liam felt Theo’s heartbeat from where their bodies were plastered together and a lazy smile appeared on his face. Even when he felt boneless, he still enjoyed having Theo so close and his wolf preened at the close contact to his mate.   
That’s why nobody could blame Liam for the disappointed sigh when Theo pulled out of him and rolled next to Liam to mimic his position and also lay on his back to look at the ceiling after a while. Their shoulders brushed and Liam guessed that was fine as well. Theo was still close to him.   
“Birthday sex is great,” Liam said breathlessly and laughed softly.  
Theo chuckled. “All the sex we have is great,” he countered. Yeah, that was nothing Liam could argue with. Not that he wanted to.  
“Yep but you know what I meant.”

He leaned against the headboard and turned his head to look at Theo. After the Betas had surprised him shortly after midnight and he unwrapped the gifts, they had eaten cake and then went to bed. When Liam and Theo woke up hours later, it had not taken long for them to heavily make out and roll around in the sheets. That meant Liam had his birthday still in front of him and he was in a great mood. And seeing his boyfriend looking happy and satisfied only increased his good mood. “I love you.”  
Theo leaned against the headboard as well, looked at Liam and smiled. “I love you too.” To prove it further, he reached over, cupped the side of Liam’s face, and kissed him softly. “Now, why don’t you stay in bed a little bit longer while I take a quick shower and then you take a long hot shower and I prepare your breakfast. Or you stay in bed and I’ll make you breakfast in bed.”  
“Hm, sounds like you’re planning on spoiling me today,” Liam whispered and pulled Theo into another kiss. Theo returned the kiss but then pulled back to answer him.   
“It’s your special day today, you can bet I’m planning on spoiling you. Everything you want to do today, I’m on board.” He leaned over Liam, the young Alpha caged between his arms, and curiously looked at him. “So, what are we doing today?”  
“Uhm, I don’t have that many plans aside from having drinks with the rest of the core pack tonight. Having a nice breakfast, going for a long run, probably with the dogs, and maybe play some video games, that’s all I can think of at the moment.” Liam shrugged and already when he said those words, he could see Theo didn’t like them. “What now? What did I say?”  
“Those aren’t special plans.” Theo sounded almost accusingly. 

Liam frowned and sat up fully, forcing Theo to sip up fully as well if he didn’t want them to literally butt heads. “What’s the matter? We didn’t do those many special activities on your birthday as well.”  
“You surprised me with this little birthday party and we mated. Also, it was Thanksgiving and we were at the lake. That was special itself,” Theo stubbornly replied. “I want you to have a special birthday as well. I owe you that!”  
“Okay, we need to talk about this.” Liam shook his head. “Theo, we don’t add these things up. We don’t have a I-gave-you-this-present-so-you-need-to-get-me-an-even-bigger-one relationship. It’s not like we reckon up what one gave the other or which things we did on birthdays, anniversaries, or on Christmas, it doesn’t have to be better and more special every year. I don’t care if your presents are self-made or store-bought, it only matters that you care. You guys surprised me with cake and a birthday song and I felt special because of that. This is the most important thing. Gifts are nice, sure, but what matters the most is that the person knows people care about them. No matter what gifts I get or what we do. Okay?”

Theo chewed on his lower lip and stubbornly refused to look at Liam until the younger took his face and turned his head so Theo had to look at him. The raw feelings displayed in the green eyes of his lover made Liam’s stomach flip. “I just want to make sure you have the best birthday. It’s your first birthday as my boyfriend, I wanted this to be extra special.”  
“It is special. Because I have you with me. And all the others. You don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself, baby. It will be a great day, even if we just stay home and eat pizza.” Liam pressed his lips to Theo’s in a loving kiss. “Okay?”, he asked afterward and Theo hesitated at first but then nodded.   
“Okay.” He kissed Liam again.   
"Good.” Liam smiled when they parted again. An idea hit him. “But you know what? Maybe I do want to do something else today. I think I want to go to the zoo.”  
“The zoo?” Theo looked surprised.   
“Yeah. We’ve been living in Seattle for a while but we never visited the zoo. I can’t remember when I last visited a zoo. A normal zoo, where living animals are. Will you go with me? Have a little zoo date? I’m sure this will be fun.”  
“Hm.” Theo scratched his chin. “It’s not like I could really say no to the Birthday Boy, right?”  
Liam shook his head. “Nope, you can’t.” He laughed and then got out of bed, extended his hand for Theo to take. “Now, I remember you saying something about showers. I think we should save water and have one together.” He wriggled his fingers and Theo smirked and grabbed the hand. 

******  
When they finally made their way downstairs into the kitchen after they showered and got dressed, the Betas were already gathered there and ate their breakfast. They happily greeted Liam and wished him Happy Birthday again and Lori fixed them two plates of eggs and bacon as well. 

“So, Lee, plans for today?” Mason asked curiously and looked over the top of his coffee mug.   
“Theo and I just talked about it. I may be twenty now but there is something I haven’t done in a long time. I’d like to visit the zoo today. So, we’re going to the zoo.”  
“The zoo?” Brett sounded incredulous. “Really?”  
“Yeah, why not?” Liam saw no problem with that and sipped his orange juice. “The last time I visited a real zoo, with animals and such, was years ago. I think it will be a cool way to spend the day until we go for drinks tonight.”   
“I’m not the biggest fan of zoos but I know the zoo here in Seattle does a lot of things to help endangered species, that is good.” Maya chimed in and nodded in approval.   
“I think a day at the zoo will be just awesome.” Lori smiled warmly at Liam and Theo and Liam smiled back. Lori had this effect on people, she was honest and kind, you had to like her and smile in her general vicinity.   
“I think so too, Lori,” he agreed and then Liam dug into his breakfast, just like Theo did next to him.

After breakfast, the couple only returned to their room to grab their wallets and phones and then Liam slid down the handrail, just because he could. Being twenty didn’t mean he had to act mature all the time. Theo saw it and shook his head with a fond smile on his face.   
“Don’t act like you don’t like my childlike side,” Liam called out and grinned. Theo just snorted but the loving look in his eyes gave away how he really felt. He couldn’t fool Liam anymore.   
They walked into the garage where Lori, Brett, Tim, and Nolan were waiting for whatever reason. Liam frowned. “Where is my car?” He questioned since only Theo’s car was parked in the garage. The garage door was open so Liam could see his car wasn’t in the driveway either.   
“Oh, the others took it since they had to refuel the tank. They’ll meet us there,” Nolan explained and Liam stared at him.  
“Meet you where?”  
“At the zoo, silly.” Lori giggled and then climbed into the truck, just like the others.   
Liam gripped Theo’s arm when the realization hit him. “Tell me this is not happening,” he ordered his boyfriend and blinked at Theo. “Tell me, please!”  
Theo just made an apologetic face and raised a shoulder. Of course, he wouldn’t tell Liam this was not happening. He would not lie to Liam. “You have to say something, I’m afraid. It’s your birthday and you’re the Alpha.” He made a hand motion towards the truck but looked as unsure as Liam felt.   
Tim poked his head out of the window. “Come on, what are you waiting for?” He retreated back into the car and Liam frowned.  
“I can’t tell them! Look how excited they are!” He hissed and stared wide-eyed at Theo. “And the others are already on their way to the zoo!”  
“I know,” Theo said and frowned as well. “Maybe we catch them before we enter the zoo?”  
“Guys, Mason sent me a text. Traffic was not as bad expected so they are already there. He got tickets for all of us,” Nolan yelled and Liam sighed heavily. Great.  
“Okay, let’s go,” he muttered defeated and walked to the passenger seat of the truck.

******  
Mason had been right, traffic wasn’t that bad and they arrived relatively fast at the zoo. The parking lot wasn’t crowded as well, Liam guessed this was a good sign there wouldn’t be too many people in the zoo. That was something, right?  
“There are the others.” Brett pointed at the small group next to the pay booth. When Mason spotted them, he waved the tickets in the air.

“You finally made it!”  
“Yeah, we made it.” Liam was still not sure what to make out of the current situation. It seemingly showed on his face because Mason nudged him.  
“What happened to your enthusiasm from before? Be happy, we’re at the zoo.”  
“Oh, I am happy to be at the zoo.” Liam made a face and Mason scoffed.  
“Could have fooled me. You look like you’re in pain. It was your idea we go to the zoo.”  
“Really? Was it?” Liam snapped back. “Did I ever utter the words we all go?”  
Stunned silence. It was Lori who caught up first. “Oh my god. Guys, I think Liam’s we didn’t include the whole pack, more only Theo and him. Oh, I’m so sorry.” She pressed both hands against her mouth in shock. Finally, it clicked for everyone else.  
“We are really crashing your date right now?”  
“Yeah, well…” Theo didn’t finish his sentence and just let the end hanging in the air. It was clear what he meant anyway.  
“Why didn’t you say something? I don’t understand.” Mason shook his head.  
“When should I have said something? It didn’t occur to me you all were tagging along until we got into the garage. At that point, you had already taken off,” Liam stated matter-of-factly and Mason made a rueful face.  
“I’m sorry, Lee. Look, we’re leaving you two alone and meet you back at the house later. Have fun at the zoo.”  
But Liam shook his head. “That’s bullshit, you already bought the tickets. It is what it is now. Let’s all have a fun day at the zoo.”  
“Okay, we all go but we get out of your hair and let you have some time alone,” Sadie said and prompted her fellow pack mates to nod. Liam sighed. As chaotic as his Betas were, he loved them and could not really be mad at them.

Theo smiled at him and took his hand when they passed the entrance and stepped into the zoo. Right next to the entrance was a big map of the zoo and Liam pulled Theo over to search for the best route to see all animals. “We should go right and then walk this round, so we can circle the whole area.” He pointed at different points on the map while he talked and Theo hummed in confirmation.  
“If you go right, we go left. Enjoy your date!” Sadie decided for the group and then proceeded to herd the other Betas away from the Alpha couple. Liam watched them leave and sighed.  
“I’m getting a headache.”  
“No, puppy, it’s your birthday. You should enjoy it. Come on, there are some monkeys waiting for us.”

Theo simply dragged him into the direction Liam chose for them and Liam let himself be dragged until he finally walked next to Theo and looked around. “But seriously, this pack.”  
“With how chaotic we all are, it was bound to happen.”  
“Seriously?” Liam didn’t really share this mindset but Theo nodded.  
“Yeah. Think about it. The Betas crashing one of our dates, this is typical for this pack.”  
The longer Liam thought about it, the more he found he shared Theo’s opinion. The couple looked at each other and then both started laughing. Some people gave them funny looks but Liam and Theo paid them no mind.  
When they finally calmed down, Liam tugged at Theo’s hand in a way better mood than before. “Come on, time to pay the animals a visit.”

The first animals they came across were monkeys and Liam and Theo stopped for a while to watch them play, climb the trees, eat, and tease each other.  
“Brett’s favorite animals are monkeys if I remember correctly.” Liam leaned on the banister and watched a mother monkey tending to her young.  
“You know Brett’s favorite animals?” Theo asked, clearly amused by this.  
“I had a crush on him once. You remember things about your crush because you pay close attention. I learned many things about you as well that way.”  
“Oh? Like what?”  
“How much you love blueberry pancakes and muffins. I noticed how you always munched them when mom made them for breakfast. Or that your favorite shoes are your white Converse, which – to be real – is not that hard to notice.” He glanced at Theo’s feet. Like expected, his boyfriend wore the white shoes right now.  
“They’re comfortable.” Theo shrugged.  
“I always wondered how you managed to keep them that white with everything we do and fight. Blood, dirt, it’s a miracle.”  
“I clean them religiously,” Theo answered dryly.  
“Idiot,” Liam said fondly and the couple walked to the next compound.

******  
They wandered from compound to compound and watched the various animals while they talked about various topics. The sun was shining in the blue sky and Liam relaxed and soaked up the warmth. He was glad he had decided against wearing a jacket and just kept it to a simple t-shirt. Theo also had left his jacket in the car and thus displayed how well he filled out his olive green tee.

After passing several compounds, the couple sat on a bench and just enjoyed the sun. Liam had his head tilted back and watched the clouds.  
“I never got the fascination with cloud-gazing,” Theo muttered next to him and tilted his own head back to watch the puffy clouds. “I never did this as a kid.”  
“You never…Seriously?” Liam could not believe this and turned his head to look at Theo rather than the sky. Theo shrugged and looked at Liam as well before he shrugged again.  
“Yeah. What’s the use, especially if you don’t have anyone to exchange with what you see?”  
“You were a strange boy, Theo Raeken.” He shook his head.  
“I had other interests. Stars, I liked. The cosmos. So stargazing was a thing for me but not clouds.”  
Liam chuckled. “I bet you hid under the blankets late at night, when you were supposed to sleep, had your little flashlight and read all those books about the cosmos and the Milky Way…No, that was me with history books. But I bet you had one of those lamps casting stars and planets in different colors on the wall and when you laid in bed during the night, you loved to watch the lights change colors and marveled at the various planets, imagined you would travel there one day.”  
Theo shook his head in wonder. “That’s exactly what happened. How did you know that?” He looked absolutely stunned.  
“I was right? Oh my god, that is amazing! Let me try another one!”  
Liam squinted his eyes while he assessed Theo and tried to come up with something. “You played Little League. Your jersey number was…7.”  
Theo smiled and shook his head. “22.”  
“Dammit! Okay, give me another try!”  
“Nope, it’s my turn now,” Theo demanded. He scratched his chin and pondered on what he could say. “You had a stuffed animal and it was a penguin.”  
“No.” Liam laughed. “It was a giraffe and his name was Dots. Mom still has him around somewhere.”  
“Aw, that’s precious, Lee.”  
“Shut up. Bet you had a stuffed animal as well. Maybe a lion?”  
Theo shook his head again. “I had a plush fish from a trip to the aquarium. Looked like that Dori fish from Nemo and his name was Nighty.”  
“Oh my god, and you’re calling me precious, Theo?”

Liam looked around. “Don’t they have an aquarium around here? Let’s visit this next.”  
“We don’t have to, really. Can stay here a little longer, Liam.”  
“I want to see fishes now. And maybe buy you a little plush fish from the zoo store later on.” He got up from the bench and wandered over to another map to see where to go from here.  
“You’re not buying me a stuffed animal!” Theo called after him but Liam ignored him.  
“I do as I please. That way!” He pointed left.  
Theo acted like this was a chore and groaned when he got to his feet. “Why do I bother with you?”  
“Because I have you wrapped around my little finger.” Liam saw no problem with that and grinned proudly. Theo said nothing but when he finally reached Liam, he simply pulled him in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. A simple act of affection and yet it held so much for Liam. Theo was just as in love with him as Liam was with Theo and though they teased each other, being around each other wasn’t a burden.

“Hey, look, there are the others.” Theo had spotted their group and pointed at them sitting on benches in front of the aquarium.  
“Hey guys,” Liam greeted when the couple stepped up to them.  
“Oh, hi, do you guys want to visit the aquarium? We wanted to but we can do something else, so we don’t disturb you,” Nolan said hastily, already about to jump to his feet again.  
Liam chortled. His Betas obviously were serious about not disturbing his and Theo’s date. “Guys, relax. This is silly. Yes, it was supposed to be a date but we came here all together so we can walk together now. Right, Theo?”  
Theo nodded. “We had some alone time and I learned some things about Liam. I would love to meet Dots one day, by the way.”  
“If you let me buy you a replacement for Nighty,” Liam replied without missing a beat and Theo smirked.  
“Deal.”

“Whoever Dots and Nighty are, I’d love to walk inside the aquarium and out of the sun for a while. I love getting tan but this gets too hot right now.” Brett took off his sunglasses and hang them at the front of his tank top. He had sat in front of the benches, leaned back on his palms, and Liam extended his hand to help him to his feet. It gave the signal for everyone else to get up and together they made their way into the building. 

Just like Brett had said, the building was cooler than outside, a welcomed change to the burning sun. Liam loved the warmth but even he had to admit, running around all day when the sun was beating down – especially as a werewolf – made you run hot. He sighed when he entered the dimly lit place.  
“Nice, hm?” Brett appeared to Liam’s right and looked around. “I always liked to visit an aquarium. There is something mysterious about the sea and it also has something peaceful to watch the water and the fishes.”  
“Peaceful it is,” Liam agreed. “Feels like a different part of the world.”  
“But not in a bad way. It’s a like a little break. Gives me time to think.”

The two of them wandered down the halls, looked through various windows and watched the animals in the tanks while they talked.  
“Are you still feeling lost?” It was important for Liam to know so he could help Brett.  
“I’m still figuring out what I want my place in life to be. Coming back from the dead made me realize I never really had a goal after high school. I was just hanging by for graduation and then maybe college. I now got the chance of a new start and so I can find other ways to live a fulfilling life. I just have to figure out what I want.”  
“Any vague idea of what you want already? I get what you’re saying. I thought getting my major in history is exactly what I wanted to do but now I realized I want to do something different with my life. Theo and I will open our own bakery and coffee shop after graduation, so I’m still finishing my history degree but also taking some business classes. I’m excited about what this future will hold but it took me a long time to get there.”  
Brett looked at a swarm of colorful fishes and hummed. “That’s something I want. Not the bakery, the relationship. You two seem so happy with each other and I wish that for me as well.” He sighed. “But the thought of me being in a relationship right now seems absurd. I have so much on my plate, I don’t need to drag another person into this mess.”  
“Let me tell you one thing about love: It comes when you least expect it. When I realized my feelings for Theo as what they were, I was stunned. I had a lot on my mind, high school graduation, college applications, the supernatural things, the last thing I needed were feelings for someone I could never have. But that didn’t stop me from falling deeper and deeper. Love is not rational, so it surely won’t cooperate with your current situation. Maybe it can help you with your current state, you know? Having a partner anchors you, not only us weres. Corey anchors Mason, I know that.”  Liam smiled at Brett and squeezed his shoulder. Having someone by your side gave you immense strength, Liam himself experienced this over and over again with Theo and he thanked the heavens for it. Not only was Theo his anchor but also his rock. Together, Liam felt like they could take on whatever the world had in store for them.

He was so lost in thoughts, he had not registered Brett talking to him until the other nudged his shoulder. “Earth to Liam, are you with me?”  
“Huh? Sorry, Brett, I was….”  
“Dreaming about your mate?”  
Liam blushed. “Kinda.”  
Brett scoffed playfully and shook his head. “I should be mad about getting ignored but I will be damned if happiness is not a good look on you. You’re so sickly in love, it’s almost unreal. Everyone else ceases to exist for you when you’re in love. Theo’s a really lucky guy to have you.”  
Liam looked over to the other side of the room where Theo inspected the same species of fishes Nighty had been. “I’m also incredibly lucky to have him.” He focused on Brett again. “And I’m sure you will find somebody as amazing for you. You’re a great guy, Brett, don’t forget that.”  
Lori appeared next to Brett. “Stop telling my brother he’s great, will make his head even bigger than it already is.”  
“Hey, that man is just stating facts, sis. Let him speak the truth.” Brett pulled his sister in a loose headlock and she squeaked and tried to weasel her way out.  
Liam laughed. It was good to see Brett slowly coming back to his old ways. He had cursed Brett out quite often since meeting him for the first time but he also wanted his friend to get his carefree attitude back. They all left something of their soul in the supernatural fight, Liam had realized that years ago, but they still could overcome most of the trauma. Brett surely deserved it.

******  
Spending a day at the zoo - only interrupted by calls from Liam’s parents and the council singing Happy Birthday for Liam and wishing him the best-  had put everyone in a good mood and when they had come home, showered, and changed clothes to go for the promised drinks that night, they were joking around and laughing on their way to the bar. While Liam wanted to celebrate his birthday, he was not in the mood to go clubbing and so had decided on a cozy pub near the city center. Drinks were good and had fair prices for college students and there were pool and darts.

“Round one’s on me,” Theo announced while they stepped into the pub. Liam glanced at him.   
“You really don’t have to. What you make at the coffee shop is not that much, to begin with, save your money.”   
Theo took his face in both hands. “Puppy, stop worrying. I want to buy the first round. It’s okay, I won’t be living in the streets afterward.” He kissed Liam to stop any further argument. It was an unfair tactic but Liam had to admit, it worked.   
He therefore just grumbled but then let Theo be generous. The rest of the core pack had watched their little exchange with amusement and now told Theo what they wanted to drink. For the first round, they all mostly stuck to beer. The twenty-two-year-old looked at Liam. “A beer for you as well?” His glance turned calculating. “Or still feel like something will happen and you need a clear mind to protect us?”  
Liam had not really paid attention to this feeling for a while now and when Theo mentioned it, he had to search within his mind for a while but came up with nothing. “I actually don’t. It stopped when we found Brett and Lori,” he realized.   
“That could be another point for the theory about your Alpha spark pulling them back into this world.” Ever had overheard their conversation and now chimed in.   
Liam nodded slowly. “Hm, yeah. But we don’t think about this tonight, okay? Tonight we just enjoy being all together and having fun.” He took the beer bottle Theo held out for him and raised it to toast. “To a fun night full of fun for the pack.”  
“No,” Corey held up his own bottle. “To Liam, the best Alpha we could ask for and one of the best friends all of us will ever have. Happy Birthday, big brother.”  
“Cheers!” The pack wholeheartedly agreed with Corey’s words and they all clinked their bottles or glasses together before they wandered over to a few bar tables located near the dartboard and the pool tables. 

It didn’t take long for the group to split into several fractions; one playing darts, the other playing pool, and the third sitting at the bar stools at the tables, eating the onion rings and pretzels Mason treated them to while watching the others or occasionally taking part in the games.   
Liam had decided to play some darts. He had no idea if he was good at it but he played it in the past and found it quite enjoyable, so he went for this. Theo and Brett had immediately taken to the pool table and it looked like they developed a new level of friendship over them both liking the game so much. Since Theo had called Brett out, the two talked often, about various things but also about hell and coming back, and their personalities mixed very well together. Tim had found a very fitting term when he titled them  _“The ridiculously hot - and well aware of their own hotness- bros”_. And then Mike had sat with the two of them and joined the conversation and Tim had left the room muttering something about “That being way too much to handle”. Liam still grinned when he thought how the scene had played out.  
Tim now tried to build a little house with the pretzels and Ever giving him advice where to put the next piece. Nolan and Lori also approached the pool table and tried their luck but it was crystal clear they were not nearly as skilled as Brett and Theo. 

Holy balls, those two were fantastic. Theo had let it slip once he learned how to play pool to scam people at bars and get some money on the side when he lived with the Dread Doctors and later when he lived in his truck and Brett seemed naturally good at any game or sports he played. Both challenged each other to trick shots but even Brett had to agree at one point Theo was better at tricks than he was. Now they worked together to teach Noland and Lori.

“Damn, you really suck at pool,” Theo leaned on the billiard queue and took in the scattered billiard balls Nolan had managed to get all over the table.  
“I’m afraid, pool really is not your forte, little hunter,” Brett agreed and Nolan blushed so brightly, even the dim light in the pub could not hide it. Liam snickered into his beer and almost choked on the sip he had taken.   
“Nols, you can play with us. Your accurate aim surely will help my team to win,” Sadie waved a dart in Nolan’s direction and he gladly fled the table and joined her. Lori had skipped off after she found a pinball machine in the corner and now squealed happily at the little blue ball moving up and down. 

“Why do you get to have Nolan in your team?” Mike asked Sadie and he just flashed him a wolfish grin.  
“Because I’m his best friend and I say he plays with the girls,” Ever called out from heat seat.   
“Liam! An alpha decision, please!” Mike and Corey glanced at Liam who shrugged.  
“Sorry, the Alpha is on a break for tonight. I’m sure you will sort this out on your own. Ask Mason to join your team.”  
“Mason? The one who once shot the tire of Derek’s car when he got hold of Nolan’s crossbow?” Corey frowned and threw a napkin at his husband when Mason squawked indignantly. “You know I’m right, baby. You and arrows are not really a good mix.”  
“It was one time and I paid for that tire! Accidents happen!”  
Liam snickered again and looked over at the pool table again while his friend bickered in the background. 

Theo and Brett had moved to play against each other. Currently, Theo was leaning forward to take a shot and from Liam’s place, he had the best view of how the muscles in Theo’s back moved under Theo’s t-shirt, how the shirt slid up to reveal a sliver of skin. The Alpha’s eyed dropped lower, to the jeans fitting his boyfriend perfectly. Theo surely knew how to dress and Liam was here for it.   
“Liam? It’s your turn,” Sadie waved the darts in front of his face and Liam jumped in his seat.   
“What? Ah, sorry, I was busy ogling that fine ass playing pool.” He slipped from his stool and grabbed the darts from her hands. When he walked over to the board, he noticed Theo looked over his shoulder and smirked at Liam, clearly had heard the comment.  
But while he enjoyed undressing his mate with his eyes, he wanted to win this darts match and so Liam huffed out a breath and concentrated. All his darts hit the mark not as good as he wanted but they didn’t entirely miss either. When he plucked them from the board and turned around, he realized Theo leaned against the billiard table, drank his beer, and watched Liam without ever averting his eyes. Liam made a silly face and curtsied. Theo’s snort, even somehow covered by the drink, made it over to Liam and he chuckled.

“Where the fuck did you learn that?” Tim stared at Liam like he turned violet with yellow dots all over his skin.   
“In the Mr. Barrington’s  _Class for Young Gentlemen_  at Devenford Prep,” Liam and Brett answered at the same time. They laughed at the shared memory of their former teacher and high-fived.   
“Is he still teaching this class?” Liam asked and Brett nodded.   
“As far as I know. I mean, he did until I...you know.” The tall werewolf grinned. 

“Whoa, whoa, give me a moment. I know Bacon Hills was crazy but please don’t tell me your local high school really offered a class for young gentlemen. When did you do that? After or before you fought werejaguars and the Anuk-ite? Or somewhere between?” Maya asked with a deep frown.   
“No, Maya, that supernatural shit went down after that. Not Beacon Hills High offered the class but Devenford Prep, the school I went to before I transferred. The same school I met Brett,” Liam tried to solve her confusion.   
“Devenford Prep sounds like a private school,” Sadie said casually and stirred her drink.   
“It was,” Brett confirmed and drank from his beer. “And we had this teacher, Mr. Barrington, who was as American as you can imagine but he considered himself a British earl and held this class as some sort of club after classes. Taught the boys to eat with all the right cutlery, how to behave, what to say. Most boys went there and right after they exited the classroom forgot everything he taught them.”  
“I still know some things but I’d rather not use them. I’m sure Theo would stab me with a fork if I treat him like a gentleman should treat a lady and unfortunately we never learned etiquette for same-sex relationships. Also, he would die laughing if I ever seriously bowed down to him.”  
“Yep.” Theo reached for an onion ring when he confirmed Liam’s theory.   
“Oh my god, I’m imagining you two in an etiquette class. How adorable.” Ever giggled. Sadie pawed at her arm.   
“You’re missing the most important thing: Private school probably meant school uniforms, right?” At Brett’s and Liam’s nods, she squealed. “Please, tell me there are pictures! I need to see pictures!”  
“There are tons of pictures. Mom was so proud and the school held so many events. Enough time to take many pictures.” Liam shuddered. He had never really liked the uniform, hence those pictures not being his favorites but for the sake of it, he would even show her and the others the pictures. 

“I don’t get the big deal, I wore a school uniform during my school days as well,” Mike announced while he munched onion rings. Suddenly the pack’s sole attention was on him.   
“You? Wearing a school uniform?” Nolan could not believe that.   
“Yup. Grey slacks, white dress shirts, dark blue ties, and dark green blazers. I still have that thing.”  
“You still have it? Why? It doesn’t sound like you liked the uniform.” Tim knew his best friend.   
“We had to buy our own uniforms or rather our parents had to buy them. The school didn’t pay for them. If you were too poor to afford the uniform...Just kidding, if you were too poor to afford the uniform, you didn’t attend this school.”  
“That’s arrogant,” Corey chimed in.   
Mike scoffed. “Yeah, that’s a good word to describe this school and most of the students and staff. You know those rich kids of Snapchat? I went to school with these people and the school only supported this way of thinking. Needless to say, I didn’t really enjoy my time there.”  
“Mike,” Sadie said seriously, “if you think you get away without me seeing you wearing a school uniform, may it be in pictures or live, you’re mistaken. Same goes for the two of you.” She pointed at Brett and Liam.  
“Should I be scared?” Brett inquired and Maya nodded.  
“Yep. She’s on a mission now.”  
“Oh boy,” Brett muttered and put a hand full of pretzels in his mouth, maybe not as fazed by this as he probably should be.

******  
“What do you think?”

Rod asked Liam. They both stood on the lacrosse field and watched the open training. Against Liam’s fear of nobody coming, quite some people had taken interest and attended the training. Now it was coming to end and coach and captain exchanged their opinions.   
“There are some promising people, men and women. With them on the team, we might have a chance of doing better than before. They need training, of course, but that was expected. I think we can work with what we have,” Liam shared his insight.   
Rod nodded. “Think so too. Some of them never played lacrosse in a competitive team before, the training will be new to them but that’s what I’m here for.” He grabbed his bag. “Thank you for your help, Liam.”  
“Hey, it’s my team too.” Liam patted the coach’s back and took his own bag. 

They turned around to leave the field when a dark-haired guy sprinted towards them. “Is the open training over already? I wanted to attend it but I just recently transferred and had to check with the administration office. They took awfully long, that’s why I’m only arriving here now.” He cast a look at the now empty field and groaned. “Guess I have to participate in the next open training.”  
Liam and Rod shared a look. “I know you have an appointment at your son’s school. Go. I take care of this and tell you how it went,” Liam offered and Rod gave him a grateful smile.   
“Thank you, Liam.” He clapped him on the back and then shook hands with the new guy. “Good Luck...What’s your name?”  
“Caden Thermopolis, you can call me Cade. Or Alec.”  
“Alec?” Liam wondered what gave him that nickname.  
“I got told I look like the Alec guy from the Shadowhunters series. I don’t really see it but oh well. Archery being one of my hobbies don’t help much in that case. The nickname stuck...” Cade shrugged and simpered.   
“Okay, Caden, I leave you in the care of our team captain Liam. Show him what you can do.” Roderick waved and then walked to the locker room. 

Liam dropped his bag back on the bench again. “Ever played before?”  
“My dad and some of his friends had their own little neighborhood lacrosse league and I played there. Also, my old college had a team but somehow we only played for fun. I know what I have to do if that’s what your question aimed at.”  
Liam fiddled with his phone and typed. “Just letting my boyfriend know I will come home later, then we can start. I’d suggest, we start with warm up, want to see your stamina. Come on, we run around the field.” Liam threw his phone on top of his bag after he finished texting and started to jog. Caden dropped his things and soon jogged next to him.   
“Where do you come from?”  
“My last college was in Illinois but my family lives in Chicago.”  
“Never been there but heard it’s a beautiful city.”  
“Oh, it truly is. Though I felt the need to venture out after high school, explore more cities and my parents absolutely encouraged me.”  
“My parents did the same thing to me. I come from a small town in California and they were sad I was leaving but they never tried to stop me.”  
“It’s good to hear that. Our family has very close bonds and it’s always nice to hear other families seem to have them as well.”  
“Hm, agreed.” Liam picked up his pace a little bit. His goal was to challenge the guy but to his wonder, Caden stayed hot on his tails. Being an Alpha, Liam knew he was fast. What surprised him that while he was faster than Caden, the man could still keep up without falling too much behind. It reminded him of Theo, Maya, and Sadie, the fastest of his Betas.

They stopped jogging after a while and Liam threw Caden one of the lacrosse sticks they used for the open training. “I will fire some shots at you, let me see how good you are at catching.”   
“Okay.” Caden nodded and then moved to the spot Liam assigned him too. Liam grabbed his own stick and the ball and wiggled it in the net.   
“Keep it easy on me, captain,” Caden joked.   
“Easy never won any titles but I promise not to be too hard on you,” Liam replied and flung the first ball at Cade. He caught it without much of a problem. Liam really liked that. Fast reflexes, almost reminded him of Kira. 

The next shorts were harmless as well and Caden caught them without breaking so much of a sweat. Even when Liam targeted the corners to see him move, he managed to catch the ball, albeit in the last seconds. Liam raised an eyebrow. Those reflexes were faster than those of a human and his wolf woke up and assessed the other man. They were the same age and while Cade was taller than Liam, he was the Alpha and surely could take him.   
To test his theory, Liam’s shots became faster and harder, fueled by the wolf inside him. Caden looked taken aback but then did his best to catch the balls, even when Liam fired more and faster shots at him. He didn’t succeed at 100% but the shots he caught were enough to confirm Liam’s suspicion. 

It was then he snapped and shot forward to shoulder tackle the other to the ground and press his lacrosse stick against Caden’s chest.  
“What are you? Your reflexes are supernatural, don’t even try to deny it!” Liam flashed his eyes Alpha red.   
Caden had sputtered when he found himself on the ground and then dusted his hands off. “Dude, what the hell?” He looked up and his hazel eyes widened when he saw the Alpha staring him down. “Oh fuck, you’re an Alpha!” He scattered away from Liam, created some separation but still remained on the ground. Slowly he went to a crouching stance yet kept his head down. “I had no idea you were an Alpha. Look, I didn’t mean any harm, I just wanted to apply for the team.” His eyes flashed gold.  
Liam lowered his stick. “You’re also a werewolf.” He sniffed. “But you don’t smell like a wolf, you smell human.”  
“I don’t have a pack, maybe that’s why? Look, Alpha, can I please get back up? I promise I’m not a trouble maker and won’t attack you. I am a good werewolf.”

Maybe his reaction had been too harsh, Liam had to admit that. It was one of those moments where he acted first and thought second. The moment that usually got him in trouble. He sighed and extended his hand to help Caden to his feet. “So am I but years of fighting all sorts of supernaturals made me suspicious. Sorry about that. And call me Liam.”  
“No hard feelings, really.” Caden waved it off. “I mean, the Alpha protects. You’re that sort of Alpha, right? The Protector. You’re not the kind of Alpha to go on a killing spree just because he can, right?”  
“No, I protect. My pack and the people I care about.”  
“Good, good.” Caden nodded.  
Liam nodded over to the bench. “Tell me about yourself. You said you don’t have a pack, that means you’re an Omega.”

They walked over and sat down. Caden grabbed his water bottle and took a sip. “Figure I should start at the beginning. I don’t have a wolf pack but consider my family my pack. They helped me with all this werewolf stuff. You must know, my parents are not my biological ones. None of their five kids is biological, we are all adopted and from different cultures. My parents loved to travel and always wanted a large family. That way they could also help. I have a sister from Japan, a brother from Peru, you get the memo. Our family is open-minded, my oldest sister is gay and my parents have done nothing but support her and her girlfriend. They raised us that way and also never kept us being adopted a secret. They also always did their best us kids stayed in touch with our culture and we traveled a lot. When I was fifteen, we traveled to Greece and one night I went for a walk, that’s when an Alpha attacked and bit me. He ran away and left me there and I was so scared, injured and bloodied, I ran home to my parents. I had no idea where else to go.”

“That’s why they knew about you being a werewolf,” Liam realized.   
“My siblings know as well and they all helped me figure this out. We searched for the Alpha and found out he had lost his wife and daughter which turned him feral. After he attacked me, the guilt was too much. We found the guy’s corpse, later on, had killed himself. But yeah, with all their support, my family became my pack even though they’re all humans. I researched most things I know about werewolves through the internet; the things is you can never be sure with this information.”  
“Research is fine and dandy but being around real werewolves is something entirely different. And some information on the web is just plain wrong.” Liam and Mason had made the same experience.   
“I didn’t even know how to find other wolves. It’s not like you can make a Craiglist ad. Heck, I didn’t even know there was a wolf pack at SU.”  
“We are here. Though admittedly, we are not a common pack.” Liam chuckled and it caught Cade’s attention. “What’s that suppose to mean?”  
“We have wolves but also a witch, a werechameleon, our Emissary is human, we have another human who is our hunter, my boyfriend was half wolf and half coyote but now is a full werewolf since I bit him. We are quite unusual,” Liam summed up his pack.   
Caden smiled softly. “Sounds nice.”  
“You surely know a wolf is not as strong as Omega as he is as Beta? You came across this information on the internet.”  
“I did but like I said, finding wolves is hard.”  
“Tell me about it. Most of my pack mates found me rather than I found them. But that’s not important, important is we found each other in the end.”

They silently sipped their water for a while.  
“Did you...kill someone to become Alpha? That’s how you get Alpha powers mostly, am I right?” Caden suddenly asked.   
“There are several ways to become an Alpha. By conquest, by inheritance, or being a True Alpha. My old Alpha, the one responsible for biting me, is a True Alpha. Scott McCall, ever heard of him before?”  
The other shook his head. It was rare people had not heard of Scott before and a part of Liam was pleasantly surprised.   
“But to answer your question, I didn’t kill and I’m not a True Alpha myself. I became an Alpha by ritual which is rare but almost as great as a True Alpha if I’m allowed to be frank.”   
“Wow, that’s a lot. I heard about killing the Alpha and think I came across the conquest one but I never heard about the others before. This world is so different than what you read in the books or online.”   
“Oh, I know that. Me getting the bite was not voluntarily but Scott saved my life with it. Took me a while to accept that. Got turned when I was fourteen, I had other things on my plate when it happened.” Liam had decided he could trust Caden. The other didn’t seem hostile and he always, maybe without really noticing, paid respect to the Alpha with keeping his voice down and never acted like he wanted to challenge Liam. It calmed his inner wolf. “You can’t really get to know the werewolf culture just by reading things. Trust me, my best friend Mason, our Emissary, tried that. You will miss big parts of the experience. Some things are hard to write down because they are hard to explain or everybody experiences them differently. You need the contact with other wolves. Especially, since your Alpha is dead.”

“Why is that so important? I mean, yep, I’d have loved to talk to him and get answers to my questions but he’s dead so that’s it. Or is it true what I read about the telepathic connection between Alpha and Beta? I honestly can’t imagine that.”  
“The bond between Alpha and Beta is special. If you kill a Beta, the Alpha will feel it. It feels like losing a limb. That’s why most Alphas are so protective of their Betas. Scott would have been destroyed if I got killed and I would be more than just destroyed if something would happen to Theo. We share so many connections but I also always feel him in the pack bond. He’s my only bitten one, it’s different than for the other Betas. I don’t know if it’s really telepathic but I do know The Alpha can control their Beta in some way. You have to ask Mason about this, I didn’t really understand the whole concept. But your Alpha is dead. Nobody can control you.”  
“That is good, I suppose”  
“Having an own free will is always good.” Liam grinned. Caden looked at him and chuckled. 

“You’re a cool guy, Liam.”  
“You’re not so bad yourself, Cade. Tell you what, we’re having a BBQ at the pack house Friday evening. Why don’t you drop by and I introduce you to the pack? You can meet other supernaturals that way and also have a nice time. You transferred recently so I’m not sure you know anybody around here?”  
“I know nobody. But do you think it will be okay if I join you? I don’t want to interrupt pack time.”  
“Ey, the Alpha invites you, you can’t say No. Wolf Law.”  
“Really? There is a Wolf Law where these things are sorted out?”  
Now Liam laughed loudly. “No, I’m just messing with you. There are some rules you should follow if you want to be considered good. Or some rules you should break if you want to be considered evil. You know about the blue eyes?”  
Caden shook his head.   
“If a were takes an innocent life, their eyes turn from gold to blue. If an Alpha takes an innocent life, their eyes stay red but when they lose their Alpha status they will be blue.”  
“Oh boy, that’s a lot.” Caden rubbed his neck.   
Liam patted his shoulder. “Don’t exhaust yourself, no need to learn all this right now. Take your time and uncover one thing after another. We all are still learning, I’m not sure we ever stop. But that’s life, I guess.” He shrugged.   
“I will take my time. I’m a fast learner, however. Oh, and since you invited me so nicely I will stop by your BBQ. Can’t wait to meet the others.” Caden smiled lightly. 

* * *

Author's Note:

In case you were wondering, this is Caden:

The Shadowhunters joke was lame but I couldn’t help myself. Hope you forgive me 😅 It reminded me of that one scene in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody where Maddie auditioned for the role of Sharpay and said she looked like Ashley Tisdale but nobody believed her. 

Fun Fact about Caden: I had everything about him, his faceclaim, how he would appear in the story, his backstory, for months. What I didn't have was his name. He was literally named a few days ago 😉😊

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this chapter and I could not wait to post it because I planned Caden's appearance for quite a while and now he's here and I'm excited. I reached a point in this story where I still get many new ideas the more I think about but we're also at the point where what I have already planned is slowly coming together. This is amazing to see and if I could I would just spend the day and night writing the next chapters. Just thinking about it excites me and I can't wait to see what you guys think of it. 
> 
> Let me also take this opportunity to thank you all again. Without you, I probably would have lost motivation long ago. Without you, this story would not be what it is today. Thank you for all your comments and your support ♥ I love you all!
> 
> As always, tell me your comments/wishes/dreams! Let me know what you think in the comments below.


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